Dorothy is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Dorothy means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Dorothy across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Dorothy has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Dorothy is a girl name of Greek origin meaning “gift of God”. from the same elements as Theodora, reversed.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 1,115,908 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 3,068 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 192 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 11 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 654 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 303 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Dorothy per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1924 (40,097/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2020 (288/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1964 (65/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1975 (26/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2023 (5/yr).
Dorothy has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1924, when it ranked #6 nationally (given to 40,097 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1920s.
Dorothea · Dorthy · Dortha · Dorotha · Doretha · Dorathy · Dorthea · Dorthey
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