Dory
Dory is a name with a single cultural origin: English.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Dory
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Dory is a name with a single cultural origin: English.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Dory
As a girl name
American parents first put Dory on the record books as a girl name in 1946, with 9 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1964, when 34 Dorys were born — ranking #2,040 that year. The 1970s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 24% of all recorded Dorys. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (10 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 961 Dorys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Dory as a boy name dates back to 1919, when 5 babies received it. 1972 was its biggest year on record, with 14 newborns named Dory — #2,533 in the national rankings. The 1970s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 48% of all recorded Dorys. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 1986 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 124 Dorys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Dory
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Dory. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Dory
Phonetically similar names — useful when Dory 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 Dory
What does the name Dory mean?
What is the origin of the name Dory?
How popular is Dory in 2026?
When was Dory most popular?
In which U.S. states is Dory most popular?
Is Dory a unisex name?
What names go well with Dory?
What are nicknames or variants of Dory?
About the name Dory
Dory is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1946 and has accumulated 961 births in the dataset. Dory's peak popularity came in 1964 when it ranked #2,040. Use the chart and map above to compare Dory's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1964 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "D" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.