Dorothy
Meaning of Dorothy
Dorothy, pronounced DAWR-uh-thee, traces its silvery thread back to the Greek “Dorotheos,” meaning “gift of God,” and has long carried the gentle authority of a blessing whispered by elders. From the ruby-slippered heroine who clicked her heels all the way home to Kansas, to Nobel-winning chemist Dorothy Hodgkin, the name is woven into stories of courage, curiosity and quiet brilliance. In the United States it once ruled playgrounds of the 1920s, slipped into a mellow lull mid-century, and is now enjoying a soft, steady comeback—much like the comforting aroma of masala chai that drifts back into vogue every monsoon. For Indian parents seeking a cross-cultural classic, Dorothy offers an old-world charm that pairs gracefully with both silk lehengas and Sunday dresses, while its built-in nickname “Dot” adds a dash of playful informality. Altogether, Dorothy feels like a timeless raga: familiar, melodious and, as her meaning promises, a little divine.
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 and activist who, after a bohemian youth, became a Catholic while continuing her social activism, making her a renowned radical among American Catholics. |
| Dorothy Hodgkin, an English chemist, pioneered X-ray crystallography for biomolecules, winning the 1964 Nobel Prize as the only British woman scientist to do so. |
| Dorothy Dandridge was an American actress and singer who broke barriers as the first African-American nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. |
| Dorothy Parker was an American poet, critic, and writer celebrated for her sharp wit and keen observations of 20th-century urban life. |
| Dorothy Brown is an American Democratic lawyer and politician who served as the clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County from 2000 to 2020. |
| Dorothy Arzner was a pioneering American film director who broke barriers as the first woman in the Directors Guild and to direct a sound film. |
| Dorothy Irene Height was a pioneering civil rights and women's rights activist who championed the interconnected struggles of African-American women and led the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years. |
| Dorothy Malone was an American actress who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Written on the Wind. |
| Dorothy Miller Richardson was a pioneering British author who used stream of consciousness in her Pilgrimage novels to emphasize female experiences and the journey to self-realization. |
| Dorothy Garrod was an English archaeologist specializing in the Palaeolithic period and the first woman to hold a chair at Oxford or Cambridge. |
| Dorothy Vaughan was the first African-American woman to supervise staff at NASA's Langley Research Center as a human computer and programmer. |
| Dorothy Constance Stratton is celebrated as the inaugural director of the SPARS, the U.S. Coast Guard Women's Reserve. |
| Dorothy Dix was a pioneering American journalist and advice columnist who championed women's suffrage. |
| Dorothy Stuart Hamill is a retired American figure skater who won both the Olympic and World championships in ladies' singles in 1976. |
