Dorothy
Girl name · #421 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Dorothy? In official American birth records, Dorothy has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Dorothy ranks #421 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 743 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #714, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,423 girls born in 2025 was named Dorothy.
Babies named Dorothy per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Dorothy first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 112 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1924, when 39,996 girls were named Dorothy — good for #2 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Dorothy against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Dorothy in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Dorothy is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Dorothy is most common
Geography matters for names, and Dorothy is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Dorothy is most common in OR (1.2 per 1,000), MO (1.2 per 1,000), UT (1.1 per 1,000), IN (1.1 per 1,000), WA (1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.6 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Dorothy is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Dorothy
Dorothy carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Dorothy family went to about 901 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #338, versus #421 for Dorothy alone.
Names like Dorothy
Statistically, parents drawn to Dorothy tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Frances, Virginia, Louise, Ramona, and Helen.
FrancesVirginiaLouiseRamonaHelenLorettaMarieSylvia
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Dorothy | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 743 | #421 |
| 2024 | 718 | #429 |
| 2023 | 664 | #463 |
| 2022 | 645 | #486 |
| 2021 | 649 | #483 |
| 2020 | 565 | #535 |
| 2019 | 546 | #561 |
| 2018 | 530 | #580 |
| 2017 | 507 | #590 |
| 2016 | 456 | #644 |
| 2015 | 398 | #714 |
| 2014 | 385 | #727 |
| 2013 | 335 | #806 |
| 2012 | 279 | #922 |
| 2011 | 279 | #927 |
| 2010 | 243 | #1027 |
| 2009 | 227 | #1116 |
| 2008 | 244 | #1070 |
| 2007 | 263 | #1003 |
| 2006 | 267 | #976 |
| 2005 | 237 | #1025 |
| 2004 | 290 | #848 |
| 2003 | 292 | #835 |
| 2002 | 264 | #867 |
| 2001 | 319 | #750 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Dorothy?
In official American birth records, the name Dorothy first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 112 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Dorothy a popular girl name?
Dorothy ranked #421 among girls in 2025 with 743 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #714.
When was the name Dorothy most popular?
Dorothy peaked in 1924, when 39,996 American girls received the name (ranked #2 that year). Since 1924 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Dorothy?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,423 newborn American girls was named Dorothy. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.