At a glance
- U.S. rank 2025
- #10,917 of girl names (outside the top 1,000)
- Babies in 2025
- 8 (<0.01% of girls)
- Trend
- Slipping #8,406 in 2020 to #10,917 in 2025
- Peak
- #234 in 1930
- First recorded
- 1885
Meaning of Dorthy
In the sun-dappled courtyards of a Spanish villa, Dorthy arrives like a gentle breeze carrying the promise of a cherished gift—its Greek roots in Dorothea literally mean “gift of God,” and here it unfurls with a warm, unisex embrace. Pronounced DOR-thee, this vintage gem has long conjured images of golden afternoons and whispered blessings, and today’s parents are rediscovering its balanced melody as a name that feels both timeless and freshly minted. With a Latin flair that hints at fiesta and familia, Dorthy weaves together generosity, hope and divine favor, inviting each little one who wears it to dance through life as a living reminder that sometimes, the greatest treasures come wrapped in the simplest syllables.
How to pronounce Dorthy
English
- Pronounced DOR-thee /ˈdɔrθi/
Popularity of Dorthy in the U.S.
Dorthy was the #10,917 girl name in the U.S. in 2025, with 8 babies. It peaked at #234 in 1930. It first appears in the records in 1885.
- Rank among U.S. girl names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1885–2025 135 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | 10,917 | ▲ 1,244 |
| 2024 | 7 | 12,161 | ▼ 3,675 |
| 2023 | 12 | 8,486 | ▲ 2,745 |
| 2022 | 8 | 11,231 | back (not recorded in 2021) |
| 2020 | 12 | 8,406 | ▲ 2,067 |
| 2019 | 9 | 10,473 | ▲ 72 |
| 2018 | 9 | 10,545 | ▲ 2,168 |
| 2017 | 7 | 12,713 | ▲ 3,502 |
| 2016 | 5 | 16,215 | ▼ 1,733 |
| 2015 | 6 | 14,482 | ▼ 4,353 |
| 2014 | 10 | 10,129 | ▲ 6,418 |
| 2013 | 5 | 16,547 | ▼ 1,585 |
| 2012 | 6 | 14,962 | ▼ 1,615 |
| 2011 | 7 | 13,347 | ▼ 1,071 |
| 2010 | 8 | 12,276 | ▲ 1,428 |
| 2009 | 7 | 13,704 | ▲ 1,701 |
| 2008 | 6 | 15,405 | ▲ 86 |
| 2007 | 6 | 15,491 | ▼ 5,590 |
| 2006 | 11 | 9,901 | ▲ 4,601 |
| 2005 | 6 | 14,502 | ▼ 1,741 |
| 2004 | 7 | 12,761 | ▼ 1,436 |
| 2003 | 8 | 11,325 | ▲ 2,270 |
| 2002 | 6 | 13,595 | ▼ 4,244 |
| 2001 | 10 | 9,351 | ▼ 817 |
| 2000 | 11 | 8,534 | ▲ 271 |
| 1999 | 10 | 8,805 | ▼ 2,732 |
| 1998 | 16 | 6,073 | ▲ 1,669 |
| 1997 | 11 | 7,742 | ▼ 612 |
| 1996 | 12 | 7,130 | ▼ 489 |
| 1995 | 13 | 6,641 | ▼ 928 |
| 1994 | 16 | 5,713 | ▲ 2,339 |
| 1993 | 10 | 8,052 | ▼ 1,738 |
| 1992 | 14 | 6,314 | ▲ 274 |
| 1991 | 13 | 6,588 | ▼ 457 |
| 1990 | 14 | 6,131 | ▼ 1,283 |
| 1989 | 18 | 4,848 | ▼ 1,263 |
| 1988 | 26 | 3,585 | ▲ 3,768 |
| 1987 | 9 | 7,353 | ▼ 3,325 |
| 1986 | 20 | 4,028 | ▼ 511 |
| 1985 | 24 | 3,517 | ▲ 961 |
| 1984 | 16 | 4,478 | ▼ 369 |
| 1983 | 18 | 4,109 | ▼ 1,016 |
| 1982 | 28 | 3,093 | ▲ 766 |
| 1981 | 20 | 3,859 | ▼ 1,110 |
| 1980 | 33 | 2,749 | ▲ 584 |
| 1979 | 24 | 3,333 | ▼ 235 |
| 1978 | 25 | 3,098 | ▼ 189 |
| 1977 | 27 | 2,909 | ▲ 93 |
| 1976 | 24 | 3,002 | ▼ 681 |
| 1975 | 35 | 2,321 | ▲ 176 |
| 1974 | 30 | 2,497 | ▼ 403 |
| 1973 | 38 | 2,094 | ▼ 290 |
| 1972 | 47 | 1,804 | ▲ 24 |
| 1971 | 48 | 1,828 | ▲ 76 |
| 1970 | 45 | 1,904 | ▼ 149 |
| 1969 | 48 | 1,755 | ▼ 47 |
| 1968 | 47 | 1,708 | ▼ 230 |
| 1967 | 57 | 1,478 | ▼ 30 |
| 1966 | 58 | 1,448 | ▼ 280 |
| 1965 | 84 | 1,168 | ▲ 193 |
| 1964 | 68 | 1,361 | ▼ 235 |
| 1963 | 94 | 1,126 | ▲ 58 |
| 1962 | 86 | 1,184 | ▼ 255 |
| 1961 | 133 | 929 | ▲ 47 |
| 1960 | 120 | 976 | ▼ 67 |
| 1959 | 132 | 909 | ▼ 119 |
| 1958 | 161 | 790 | ▲ 22 |
| 1957 | 155 | 812 | ▼ 85 |
| 1956 | 177 | 727 | ▼ 43 |
| 1955 | 187 | 684 | ▼ 21 |
| 1954 | 194 | 663 | ▼ 5 |
| 1953 | 188 | 658 | ▼ 6 |
| 1952 | 187 | 652 | ▼ 69 |
| 1951 | 216 | 583 | ▼ 41 |
| 1950 | 231 | 542 | ▼ 55 |
| 1949 | 271 | 487 | ▲ 5 |
| 1948 | 272 | 492 | ▼ 27 |
| 1947 | 309 | 465 | ▼ 25 |
| 1946 | 307 | 440 | ▼ 29 |
| 1945 | 301 | 411 | ▼ 55 |
| 1944 | 379 | 356 | ▲ 34 |
| 1943 | 351 | 390 | ▼ 38 |
| 1942 | 390 | 352 | ▼ 7 |
| 1941 | 365 | 345 | ▼ 27 |
| 1940 | 400 | 318 | ▼ 9 |
| 1939 | 401 | 309 | ▼ 4 |
| 1938 | 422 | 305 | ▼ 20 |
| 1937 | 465 | 285 | ▲ 9 |
| 1936 | 438 | 294 | ▼ 29 |
| 1935 | 532 | 265 | ▼ 4 |
| 1934 | 577 | 261 | ▼ 2 |
| 1933 | 554 | 259 | ▲ 2 |
| 1932 | 576 | 261 | ▲ 9 |
| 1931 | 529 | 270 | ▼ 36 |
| 1930 | 684 | 234 | ▲ 21 |
| 1929 | 617 | 255 | ▼ 4 |
| 1928 | 641 | 251 | ▼ 3 |
| 1927 | 695 | 248 | ▲ 13 |
| 1926 | 649 | 261 | ▲ 15 |
| 1925 | 580 | 276 | ▼ 11 |
| 1924 | 608 | 265 | ▲ 20 |
| 1923 | 517 | 285 | ▲ 3 |
| 1922 | 513 | 288 | ▲ 9 |
| 1921 | 491 | 297 | ▲ 16 |
| 1920 | 437 | 313 | ▲ 11 |
| 1919 | 382 | 324 | ▼ 9 |
| 1918 | 412 | 315 | ▲ 35 |
| 1917 | 322 | 350 | ▲ 21 |
| 1916 | 278 | 371 | ▲ 27 |
| 1915 | 228 | 398 | ▲ 60 |
| 1914 | 143 | 458 | ▼ 19 |
| 1913 | 126 | 439 | ▲ 13 |
| 1912 | 110 | 452 | ▲ 112 |
| 1911 | 57 | 564 | ▼ 69 |
| 1910 | 67 | 495 | ▼ 64 |
| 1909 | 73 | 431 | ▲ 104 |
| 1908 | 47 | 535 | ▲ 53 |
| 1907 | 39 | 588 | ▲ 34 |
| 1906 | 33 | 622 | ▲ 42 |
| 1905 | 28 | 664 | ▼ 24 |
| 1904 | 29 | 640 | ▼ 66 |
| 1903 | 32 | 574 | ▲ 182 |
| 1902 | 21 | 756 | ▼ 57 |
| 1901 | 21 | 699 | ▲ 43 |
| 1900 | 24 | 742 | ▲ 93 |
| 1899 | 15 | 835 | ▲ 85 |
| 1898 | 14 | 920 | ▲ 635 |
| 1897 | 5 | 1,555 | ▼ 263 |
| 1896 | 7 | 1,292 | ▼ 306 |
| 1895 | 11 | 986 | ▼ 136 |
| 1894 | 13 | 850 | back (not recorded in 1891–1893) |
| 1890 | 7 | 1,099 | back (not recorded in 1889) |
| 1888 | 7 | 1,036 | – |
| 1887 | 6 | 1,036 | back (not recorded in 1886) |
| 1885 | 6 | 921 | new |
Notable people named Dorthy
- Dorthy Elaine Moxley was an American educator and crime victim advocate who sought justice after her daughter Martha's murder in 1975.