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Names Starting With D
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Dorothea

Dorothea is a girls' name of Greek origin meaning “gift of God.” A Latinate form of Dorothy, from the Greek Dorotheos meaning gift of God.

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how do you pronounce Dorothea?

dor-oh-THEE-ah

where does the name Dorothea come from?

From the Greek Δωροθέα (Dōrothéa), meaning god's gift. It is spelled Dorothee in German, Dorothée in French and Dorotea elsewhere, and in English more often Dorothy.

It is a literary and historical name borne by saints and the protagonist of George Eliot's Middlemarch.

how popular is this name?

Dorothea has appeared in the US top 1,000 in 91 years since 1880. It peaked at #174 in 1912, and ranked #974 in 1970.

1880higher on the chart = more popular · rank #1 to #1,0001970
See the milestone years
Dorothea US popularity rank by year, selected milestones
YearRank
1970#974
1969#854
1968#791
1967#723
1966#675
1965#678
1964#640
1963#627
1962#554
1961#570
1960#592
1950#463
1940#343
1930#243
1920#187
1912#174
1910#212
1900#274
1890#354
1880#421

Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset (through 2025). Years absent from the table are years Dorothea fell outside the top 1,000.

who are famous people named Dorothea?

  • Dorothea Lange
  • Dorothea Dix
  • Dorothea Brooke (fictional)

what are the nicknames and variants of Dorothea?

Nicknames

DoraThea

Variants around the world

DorothyDorotheeDorothéeDorotea

what names are similar to Dorothea?

what names go well with Dorothea?

Sibling names that share Dorothea's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.

Style:Vintage ComebackAncient Civilization

quick answers about Dorothea

What does the name Dorothea mean?

Dorothea means “gift of God”.

What is the origin of the name Dorothea?

Dorothea comes from the Greek naming tradition. Related forms include Dorothy, Dorothee, Dorothée and Dorotea.

How popular is the name Dorothea?

Dorothea ranked #974 in the US in 1970, according to Social Security data. Its best year was 1912, at #174, and it has spent 91 years in the top 1,000 since 1880.

Is Dorothea a boy or girl name?

Dorothea is primarily a girls' name.

How do you pronounce Dorothea?

Dorothea is pronounced dor-oh-THEE-ah, with 4 syllables.

Last updated · Curated by HushName editorial

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