Dorothea
Girl name · #1778 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Dorothea? In official American birth records, Dorothea has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Dorothea is currently the #1778 girl name in the United States — 113 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #3915, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 15,929 girls born in 2025 was named Dorothea.
The 145-year story
Dorothea first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 16 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1920, when 1,110 girls were named Dorothea — good for #187 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 Dorothea per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Dorothea against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Dorothea in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Dorothea is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Dorothea will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Dorothea is most common
State-level data for Dorothea is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Dorothea
Statistically, parents drawn to Dorothea tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Cornelia, Henrietta, Marietta, Dora, and Mildred.
CorneliaHenriettaMariettaDoraMildredElviraMarcellaDolly
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Dorothea | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 113 | #1777 |
| 2024 | 93 | #2067 |
| 2023 | 62 | #2757 |
| 2022 | 63 | #2720 |
| 2021 | 74 | #2416 |
| 2020 | 59 | #2779 |
| 2019 | 48 | #3272 |
| 2018 | 60 | #2810 |
| 2017 | 45 | #3436 |
| 2016 | 44 | #3523 |
| 2015 | 38 | #3915 |
| 2014 | 28 | #4892 |
| 2013 | 26 | #5143 |
| 2012 | 19 | #6576 |
| 2011 | 16 | #7436 |
| 2010 | 21 | #6182 |
| 2009 | 21 | #6317 |
| 2008 | 23 | #5955 |
| 2007 | 15 | #8098 |
| 2006 | 20 | #6356 |
| 2005 | 14 | #7891 |
| 2004 | 22 | #5555 |
| 2003 | 26 | #4804 |
| 2002 | 33 | #3889 |
| 2001 | 18 | #6067 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Dorothea?
In official American birth records, the name Dorothea first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 16 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Dorothea a popular girl name?
Dorothea ranked #1778 among girls in 2025 with 113 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3915.
When was the name Dorothea most popular?
Dorothea peaked in 1920, when 1,110 American girls received the name (ranked #187 that year). Since 1920 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Dorothea?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 15,929 newborn American girls was named Dorothea. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.