Dorothy (given name)

Dorothy is a feminine given name. It is the English vernacular form of the Greek () meaning 'God's gift', from () 'gift' + () 'god'.θεός, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library It has been in use since the 15th century.δῶρον, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library Although much less common, there are also male equivalents in English such as Dory, from the Greek masculine (). is a rarely used Russian male version of the name. The given names Theodore and Theodora are derived from the same two Greek root words as Dorothy, albeit reversed in order.

The name grew in use among Christians due to popular legends surrounding Saint Dorothy of Caeserea. The name was at one time viewed as the English equivalent of the etymologically unrelated Russian name Daria or its diminutive Dasha.

Traditional English diminutives include, among others, Do, Dodi, Dodie, Doe, Doll, Dolley, Dollie, Dolly, Dora, Dori, Dorie, Doro, Dory, Dot, Dottie, Dotty, Tea, Thea, and Tia. Dorothy, with the nickname Doll or Dolly, was quite popular from 1450 to 1570 in England. Dorothy or the variant Dorothea, also with the nicknames Doll or Dolly, was also well used between 1750 and 1820.

There are also many variants of the name in other languages.

Dorothy was a less common variant of Dorothea until it became more common and one of the top 10 most popular names for girls in the United States between 1904 and 1940. The name remained among the top 100 most popular names for American girls until 1961. It briefly left the top 1,000 names for girls in the United States in 2007 but returned in 2011 and has since increased in popularity. In 2023, it ranked 466th among the most used names for newborn girls in the United States, with 658 girls given the name in that year. Variant Dorothea is in occasional use in the United States, where 61 girls were given the name in 2023.

Notable people

Arts, entertainments and writers Dorothy Abbott (1920–1968), American actress Dorothy Adams (1900–1988), American actress Dorothy Aldis (1896–1966), American writer and author Dorothy Alison (1925–1992), Australian actress Dorothy Allen (1896–1970), American actress Dorothy Allison (1949–2024), American writer Dorothy Amenuke, Ghanaian sculptor Dorothy Angus (1891–1979), Scottish embroidery artist Dorothy Annan (1900–1983), Brazilian-British painter, potter and muralist Dorothy Appleby (1906–1990), American actress Dorothy Arnold (1917–1984), American actress Dorothy Arzner (1897–1979), American film director and film editor Dorothy Ashby (1932–1986), American jazz harpist and composer Dorothy A. Atabong, Cameroonian-Canadian actress Dorothy Atkinson, English actress and singer Dorothy Bar-Adon (1907–1950), American-born Israeli journalist Dorothy Gill Barnes (1927–2020), American artist Dorothy Barresi (born 1957), American poet Dorothy Bartlam (1907–1991), English actress Dorothy Batley (1902–1983), British actor Dorothy Bellew (1891–1973), English actress Dorothy Bennett (1907–1988), American screenwriter Dorothy Bernard (1890–1955), American actress Dorothy Berry (born 1942), Australian female artist Dorothy Bishop, American singer Dorothy Blackham (1896–1975), Irish illustrator, artist and teacher Dorothy Blewett, Australian playwright and novelist Dorothy Block (1904–1984), American painter Dorothy Bonarjee (1894–1983), Indian poet and artist Dorothy Bond (c. 1921–1952), English soprano Dorothy Bordass, British artist Dorothy Stokes Bostwick (1899–2001), American artist Dorothy Boulger (1846–1923), British novelist Dorothy Bowers (1902–1948), British writer Dorothy Boyd (1907–1996), English actress Dorothy Braddell, British writer Dorothy Bramhall (1911–2004), British actress and former model Dorothy Brandon, British playwright Dorothy Braudy, American painter Dorothy Mary Braund (1926–2013), Australian artist Dorothy Brett (1883–1977), American painter Dorothy Bridges (1915–2009), American actress Dorothy Bromiley (1930–2024), British actress Dorothy Brunton (1890–1977), Australian singer and actress Dorothy Bryant (c. 1930–2017), American dramatist Dorothy Burgess (1907–1961), American actress Dorothy Burroughes, English painter Dorothy Bussy (1865–1960), English novelist and translator Dorothy Butler (1925–2015), children's book author Dorothy Byrne, American operatic mezzo-soprano Dorothy A. Cadman, English painter Dorothy Caldwell, Canadian artist Dorothy Cannell, English-American mystery writer Dorothy Carnegie (1912–1998), American writer Dorothy Carter (1935–2003), American musician Dorothy Caruso (1893–1955), American writer Dorothy Chan, American poet and author based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin Dorothy Christy/Christie (1906–1977), American actress Dorothy Claire (1920–1982), American singer Dorothy "Dodie" Clark (born 1995), British singer-songwriter and YouTuber Dorothy Love Coates (1928–2003), American gospel singer Dorothy Coburn (1905–1978), American actress Dorothy Coke (1897–1979), English artist Dorothy Collins (1926–1994), American singer Dorothy Comingore (1913–1971), American actress Dorothy Compton, American actress Dorothy Cooper (1911–2004), American screenwriter Dorothy Cottrell (1902–1957), Australian writer Dorothy Cowlin (1911–2010), British novelist, poet, newspaper columnist and article writer Dorothy M. Cray, British novelist Dorothy Cross, Irish artist Dorothy Cullman (1918–2009), American television producer Dorothy Cumming (1894–1983), American actress Dorothy Dalton (1893–1972), American actress Dorothy Dandridge (1922–1965), American actress Dorothy Dare (1911–1981), American actress Dorothy Davenport (1895–1977), American actress Dorothy Davies (1899–1987), New Zealand pianist and piano teacher Dorothy Davison (1889–1984), British medical artist and scientific illustrator Dorothy Dean (1932–1987), American actress Dorothy Dearing (1913–1965), American actress Dorothy DeBorba (1925–2010), American child actress Dorothy Dehner (1901–1994), American artist Dorothy Dell (1915–1934), American actress Dorothy Dene (1859–1899), English stage actress and artist's model Dorothy Devore (1899–1976), American actress Dorothy Dewhurst (1886–1959), English stage and film actress Dorothy Dickson (1893–1995), American actress Dorothy Dietrich (born 1948), American stage magician and escapologist Dorothy Cameron Disney (1903–1992), American advice columnist Dorothy Dittrich, Canadian playwright Dorothy Dix (1861–1951), American newspaper columnist Dorothy Djukulul (born 1942), Australian artist Dorothy Donegan (1922–1998), American jazz pianist and vocalist Dorothy Dorow (1930–2017), British classical soprano Dorothy Doughty, British sculptor and potter Dorothy Dow (1920–2005), American singer Dorothy Drain (1909–1996), Australian journalist Dorothy Draper (1889–1969), American interior decorator Dorothy Drew, American actress Dorothy Duffy, Irish actress Dorothy Dunbar (1902–1992), American actress Dorothy Duncan (1903–1957), American writer and artist Dorothy Dunckley (1890–1972), Australian make-up artist and actress Dorothy Dunnett (1923–2001), Scottish historical novelist Dorothy Dury, 17th-century Anglo-Irish writer Dorothy Dwan (1906–1981), American actress Dorothy Eagle, English editor Dorothy Eaton (1893–1968), American painter Dorothy Eden (1912–1982), New Zealand writer Dorothy Meigs Eidlitz (1891–1976), American photographer and patron of the arts Dorothy Eisner (1906–1984), American painter Dorothy Elias-Fahn, American voice actress Dorothy Ellis (1935–2018), American singer Dorothy Emmerson, American actress and singer Dorothy Fadiman (born 1939), American film director and producer Dorothy Faison, American painter Dorothy Fane (1889–1976), British actress Dorothy Farnum (1900–1970), American screenwriter Dorothy Fay (1915–2003), American actress Dorothy Fernando (1907–c. 1981), Sri Lankan author and illustrator Dorothy Fields (1904–1974), American librettist and lyricist Dorothy Follis (c. 1892–1923), American actress and soprano singer Dorothy Catherine Fontana (1939–2019), screenplay writer Dorothy Ford (1922–2010), American actress and model Dorothy Foster (1908–1981), Australian radio producer, comedy scriptwriter and actress Dorothy Fowler, New Zealand writer Dorothy Fratt (1923–2017), American painter Dorothy Freed (1919–2000), New Zealand author, composer and music historian Dorothy Frooks (1896–1997), American journalist Dorothy Gallagher (born 1935), American memoirist and biographer Dorothy Gambrell, American cartoonist Dorothy Garlock (1919–2018), American author Dorothy Gibson (1889–1946), American actress Dorothy Giles (1892–1960), writer Dorothy Gill (1891–1969), British opera singer and actress Dorothy Gillespie (1920–2012), American artist and illustrator Dorothy Gilman (1923–2012), American novelist Dorothy Gish (1898–1968), American actress Dorothy Kurgans Goldberg (1908–1988), American writer Dorothy Gould (1910–2000), American actress Dorothy Gow (1893–1982), English composer Dorothy Granger (1911–1995), American actress Dorothy Grant, Haida fashion designer Dorothy Grebenak (1913–1990), American artist Dorothy Greener (1917–1971) English-born American actress and comedian Dorothy Lake Gregory (1893–1975), American painter Dorothy Grider (1915–2012), American artist Dorothy Gulliver (1908–1997), American actress Dorothy Gurney (1858–1932), British hymn writer and poet Dorothy Hafner, American ceramist and glass artist Dorothy Hammond (1876–1950), English actress Dorothy Antoinette Handy (1930–2002), American musician and scholar Dorothy Joan Harris (born 1931), Canadian writer Dorothy Hart (1922–2004), American actress Dorothy Schurman Hawes (1905–1977), American writer Dorothy Hawksley, British artist Dorothy Hawtree (1902–1981), Australian model and actress Dorothy Heller (1917–2003, American painter Dorothy Helmrich (1889–1984), Australian mezzo-soprano and arts administrator Dorothy Henry (1925–2020), American cartoonist Dorothy Hepworth, British painter Dorothy Hewett (1923–2002), Australian feminist poet, playwright and novelist Dorothy J. Heydt (1942–2022), American novelist Dorothy Heyward (1890–1961), American dramatist Dorothy Hood (1918–2000), American painter Dorothy Hood (illustrator), American fashion illustrator Dorothy Howard, American folklorist Dorothy Howard (1929–2013), Canadian mezzo-soprano and voice teacher Dorothy Hutton (1889–1984), English painter, calligrapher and printmaker Dorothy Hyson (1914–1996), American actress Dorothy Iannone (1933–2022), American visual artist Dorothy James (1901–1982), American music educator and composer Dorothy Janis (1912–2010), American actress Dorothy Jardon (1883–1966), American singer Dorothy Jenkin (1892–1995), New Zealand artist and printmaker Dorothy Johnston (born 1948), Australian author Dorothy Johnstone (1892–1980), Scottish painter and watercolorist Dorothy Rieber Joralemon (1893–1987), American sculptor Dorothy Jordan (1906–1988), American film actress Dorothy Misener Jurney (1909–2002), American journalist Dorothy Kay, Irish-born South African artist Dorothy Khadem-Missagh (born 1992), Austrian pianist and conductor Dorothy Kelly (1894–1966), American actress Dorothy Ker, New Zealand-born composer Dorothy Kilgallen (1913–1965), American journalist and television game show panelist Dorothy Kilner (1755–1836), English children's writer Dorothy King (artist), British artist, curator and teacher Dorothy Stratton King (1909–2007), American painter and printmaker Dorothy Kingsley (1909–1997), American screenwriter Dorothy Kirsten (1910–1992), American opera singer Dorothy Kloss (1923–2026), American dancer Dorothy Knapp, American dancer, actress, model and Ziegfeld girl Dorothy Knapp (artist) (1907–1986), American cover maker Dorothy Koomson (born 1971), English writer Dorothy K. Kripke (1912–2000), American author Dorothy Kunhardt (1901–1979), American writer