Dorothy: Meaning, Popularity, Origin of Baby Name Dorothy | Girls

Dorothy

Pronunciation: DOH-rə-thee, DOHR-thee (key)

Origin of the name Dorothy:

A borrowing of the Greek Dōrothea, a compound name composed of the elements dōron (gift) and theos (God): hence, "gift of God."

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US Popularity of Dorothy Over Time

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Comments and insights on the name Dorothy: | Edit
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Personal experiences with the name Dorothy: | Edit

There is the most adorable little girl in my Sunday School class called Dorothy. She's three years old and I couldn't imagine her with another name, Dorothy just seems to suit her so well. :)

My Grandmother's name is Dorothy. I don't know how she feels about her name exactly but she has always collected a list of other Dorothy's and use to host a yearly "Dorothy party" and invite all of them. My husband has 2 grandma's named Dorothy and in addition to my grandma I have a great aunt. All are and were wonderful women.

My daughter is named Dorothy-Rae. She was named after he great grandmother Dorothy and he great grandfather Ray. Her great grandmother spelt her name Dorthy but we chose to go with a more traditional spelling.

My little cousin is called Dorothy May, but everyone calls her Dot.

Being named Dorothy was rough growing up - hearing nothing but, "So where's Toto?" can get old quick, and being called "Dorky" instead as a tease - but by the time I got to middle school, I appreciated being the only one not just in class, but in the whole school. My grandmother was named Dorothy and is the only other one I've known. To this day, I still get my name misspelled, though. That second "o" trips people up.

I married a Nathaniel. Funnily enough, his name means the same thing - "gift of God." I guess we're gifts to each other.

Nicknames for Dorothy: | Edit

Dot, Dottie, Doro, Dora, Dorie,Thy, Dorothia, Dori, Doris, D

Meanings and history of the name Dorothy: | Edit
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Famous real-life people named Dorothy: | Edit

Dorothy Hamill, Olympic figure skating champion
Dorothy L. Sayers, British mystery novelist
Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker movement
Dorothy Dandridge, pioneering African-American actress
Dorothy Lamour, actress in "Road to..." movies with Bob Hope & Bing Crosby
Dorothy Kilgallen, writer, gossip columnist, game show panelist.
Dorothy West, American novelist and short story writer who was part of the Harlem Renaissance.
Dorothy Height, American civil rights and women's rights activist.

Dorothy in song, story & screen: | Edit

Dorothy Gale, central character in the "Land of Oz" books by L. Frank Baum
Dorothy the Dinosaur, friend of The Wiggles
Dorothy Zbornak was the name of Bea Arthur's character on The Golden Girls
Dorothy, Elmo's goldfish on "Sesame Street"
Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey, one of the main characters on the long-running 80's television series: "The Facts of Life"

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Smart?

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Sexy?

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Friendly?

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Creative?

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Strong?

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Sophisticated?

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Current Popularity of Dorothy by State