Dorothy
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek Δωροθέα (Dōrothéa).
Every Dorothy since 1880 — 1,115,908 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Dorothy
Dorothy is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #421 in 2025 with 743 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 1,115,908 American babies have been named Dorothy. Its peak came in 1924, when 40,097 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Dorothy stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Dorothy year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 743 | #421 | — | — |
| 2024 | 718 | #430 | — | — |
| 2023 | 664 | #463 | — | — |
| 2022 | 645 | #487 | — | — |
| 2021 | 649 | #483 | — | — |
| 2020 | 565 | #535 | — | — |
| 2019 | 546 | #561 | — | — |
| 2018 | 530 | #580 | — | — |
| 2017 | 507 | #590 | — | — |
| 2016 | 456 | #644 | — | — |
| 2015 | 398 | #714 | — | — |
| 2014 | 385 | #727 | — | — |
| 2013 | 335 | #806 | — | — |
| 2012 | 279 | #922 | — | — |
| 2011 | 279 | #927 | — | — |
| 2010 | 243 | #1,027 | — | — |
| 2009 | 227 | #1,117 | — | — |
| 2008 | 244 | #1,071 | — | — |
| 2007 | 263 | #1,004 | — | — |
| 2006 | 267 | #977 | — | — |
| 2005 | 237 | #1,025 | — | — |
| 2004 | 290 | #849 | — | — |
| 2003 | 292 | #835 | — | — |
| 2002 | 264 | #868 | — | — |
| 2001 | 319 | #751 | — | — |
| 2000 | 314 | #737 | — | — |
| 1995 | 377 | #597 | — | — |
| 1990 | 596 | #426 | — | — |
| 1985 | 719 | #332 | 5 | #6,826 |
| 1980 | 896 | #278 | — | — |
| 1975 | 976 | #250 | 5 | #5,703 |
| 1970 | 1,799 | #180 | 5 | #4,910 |
| 1965 | 2,961 | #130 | 13 | #2,294 |
| 1960 | 5,076 | #95 | 21 | #1,783 |
| 1955 | 7,242 | #64 | 30 | #1,404 |
| 1950 | 9,551 | #35 | 28 | #1,374 |
| 1945 | 12,323 | #21 | 52 | #864 |
| 1940 | 14,875 | #12 | 85 | #656 |
| 1935 | 19,406 | #6 | 121 | #525 |
| 1930 | 30,411 | #3 | 153 | #480 |
| 1925 | 38,570 | #2 | 99 | #639 |
| 1920 | 36,643 | #2 | 76 | #756 |
| 1915 | 25,154 | #3 | 44 | #943 |
| 1910 | 7,318 | #4 | 24 | #585 |
| 1905 | 3,937 | #7 | 11 | #756 |
| 1900 | 2,491 | #27 | 8 | #984 |
| 1895 | 1,127 | #57 | 5 | #1,121 |
| 1890 | 458 | #93 | — | — |
| 1885 | 196 | #128 | — | — |
| 1880 | 112 | #139 | — | — |
Famous people named Dorothy
- Dorothy Hodgkin Chemist · 1910–1994
- Dorothy Malone Actor · 1924–2018
- Dorothy Vaughan Computer scientist · 1910–2008
- Dorothy L. Sayers Writer · 1893–1957
- Dorothy Parker Writer · 1893–1967
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Dorothy mean?
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek Δωροθέα (Dōrothéa).
How popular is the name Dorothy in 2025?
Dorothy ranked #421 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 743 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Dorothy?
1,115,908 babies have been named Dorothy in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Dorothy most popular?
Dorothy peaked in 1924, when 40,097 newborns received the name.
Is Dorothy a boy or girl name?
Dorothy is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Dorothy rising or falling?
Dorothy is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Dorothy?
Well-known people named Dorothy include Dorothy Hodgkin (chemist), Dorothy Malone (actor), Dorothy Vaughan (computer scientist).