Dorthy
Dorothy is a feminine given name. It is the English vernacular form of the Greek Δωροθέα meaning 'God's gift', from δῶρον 'gift' + θεός 'god'. It has been in use since the 15th century. Although much less common, there are also male equivalents in English such as Dory, from the Greek masculine Δωρόθεος. Dorofei is a rarely used Russian male version of the name.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Dorthy
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Dorothy is a feminine given name. It is the English vernacular form of the Greek Δωροθέα meaning 'God's gift', from δῶρον 'gift' + θεός 'god'. It has been in use since the 15th century. Although much less common, there are also male equivalents in English such as Dory, from the Greek masculine Δωρόθεος. Dorofei is a rarely used Russian male version of the name.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Dorthy
Dorthy first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1885, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1927: 695 births, good for #248 nationwide. The 1920s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 28% of all recorded Dorthys. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (7 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 20K Dorthys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Dorthy
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Dorthy. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Dorthy
Phonetically similar names — useful when Dorthy is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dorthy
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About the name Dorthy
Dorthy is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1885 and has accumulated 20K births in the dataset. Dorthy's peak popularity came in 1927 when it ranked #248. Use the chart and map above to compare Dorthy's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1927 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "D" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.