Dora
Girl name · #2387 in 2025 · Uniqueness 70/100
Dora ranks #2387 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 75 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1972, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 24,000 girls born in 2025 was named Dora.
The 145-year story
Dora first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 524 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1921, when 2,026 girls were named Dora — good for #130 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Dora per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Dora against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Dora in class?
Dora scores 70 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Dora will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Dora is most common
Geography matters for names, and Dora is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Doras were CA (14), NY (13), TX (5). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Dora
Statistically, parents drawn to Dora tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Ora, Edna, Irma, Elvira, and Hilda.
OraEdnaIrmaElviraHildaOlgaInaElva
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Dora | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 75 | #2387 |
| 2024 | 68 | #2585 |
| 2023 | 68 | #2588 |
| 2022 | 71 | #2510 |
| 2021 | 82 | #2251 |
| 2020 | 73 | #2394 |
| 2019 | 102 | #1933 |
| 2018 | 75 | #2404 |
| 2017 | 100 | #1976 |
| 2016 | 111 | #1857 |
| 2015 | 101 | #1972 |
| 2014 | 88 | #2154 |
| 2013 | 78 | #2344 |
| 2012 | 93 | #2064 |
| 2011 | 88 | #2156 |
| 2010 | 83 | #2296 |
| 2009 | 102 | #2016 |
| 2008 | 93 | #2157 |
| 2007 | 100 | #2034 |
| 2006 | 142 | #1539 |
| 2005 | 155 | #1389 |
| 2004 | 165 | #1294 |
| 2003 | 169 | #1242 |
| 2002 | 164 | #1224 |
| 2001 | 166 | #1218 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Dora a popular girl name?
Dora ranked #2387 among girls in 2025 with 75 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1972.
When was the name Dora most popular?
Dora peaked in 1921, when 2,026 American girls received the name (ranked #130 that year). Since 1921 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Dora?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 24,000 newborn American girls was named Dora. It scores 70/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.