Dorothy
Meaning of Dorothy
Dorothy is a classic and timeless name for girls, with roots in ancient Greek. Derived from the Greek name Dorothea, it means "gift of God" (from "doron" meaning gift and "theos" meaning God). The name Dorothy has been cherished for centuries and has a vintage charm that continues to appeal to modern parents. Pronounced as DAWR-uh-thee (/ˈdɔr.ə.θi/), it gained widespread popularity in the early 20th century, peaking during the 1920s when it was one of the top names for baby girls in the United States. The name's popularity saw a gradual decline over the decades but has experienced a resurgence in recent years, ranking at #466 in 2023. Variations of the name include Dorothea and Dorothee, offering alternative options with a similar elegant feel. Dorothy is often associated with literary and cultural icons such as Dorothy Gale from L. Frank Baum's beloved novel "The Wizard of Oz," which adds an element of adventure and whimsy to its legacy. This enduring name carries both historical significance and contemporary appeal, making it a beautiful choice for any little girl.
Pronunciation
British English
- Pronunced as DAWR-uh-thee (/ˈdɔr.ə.θi/)
American English
- Pronunced as DOOR-uh-thee (/ˈdɔr.ə.θi/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Dorothy
| Dorothy Day was an American journalist, social activist, and anarchist who later became a prominent Catholic figure while continuing her social and anarchist activism. |
| Dorothy Hodgkin - Dorothy Mary Crowfoot Hodgkin, an English chemist and Nobel Prize winner, made significant advancements in X-ray crystallography, which became crucial for understanding the structure of biomolecules in the field of structural biology. |
| Dorothy Jean Dandridge was a pioneering African-American actress and singer, known for her Academy Award-nominated performance in Carmen Jones (1954) and her work at iconic venues like the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater. |
| Dorothy Parker was a renowned American poet, writer, and satirist known for her sharp wit and keen observations of 20th-century urban life. |
| Dorothy Brown, also known as Dorothy Ann Rabb Brown Cook, is an American lawyer and politician who served as the clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County from 2000 to 2020. |
| Dorothy Emma Arzner was a pioneering American film director in Hollywood, known for her successful and influential career from the 1920s to the early 1940s, making her the only female director working in Hollywood for much of that time. |
| Dorothy Irene Height was a prominent African American civil rights and women's rights activist who advocated for the issues of African American women and was a leader in the civil rights movement. |
| Dorothy Malone was an American actress known for her early B-movie roles and later acclaimed performance in "Written on the Wind," which earned her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. |
| Dorothy Miller Richardson was a British author and journalist known for her modernist novel sequence Pilgrimage, which emphasized female experiences and used stream of consciousness as a narrative technique. |
| Dorothy Garrod - Dorothy Annie Elizabeth Garrod was a pioneering English archaeologist specializing in the Palaeolithic period and the first woman to hold a chair at the University of Cambridge. |
| Dorothy Draper, an American interior decorator known for her bold and vibrant design style, is considered a pioneer of the Hollywood Regency style. |
| Dorothy Vaughan was an American mathematician and NASA pioneer, known for her groundbreaking work as the first African-American woman to supervise a group of staff at Langley Research Center. |
| Dorothy Constance Stratton is best known as the first director of the SPARS, the U.S. Coast Guard Women's Reserve. |
| Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer, known as Dorothy Dix, was a pioneering American journalist and advice columnist with a massive global readership and a strong advocate for women's suffrage. |
| Dorothy Stuart Hamill is a retired American figure skater, known for winning the 1976 Olympic and World championships in ladies' singles. |
