Dorothea

“God's gift” — Greek origin

Girl's name · #1777 in the US (2025) · Comeback

Dorothea has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #174 (1912) · 34,421 babies named Dorothea all-time · 1 in 14,000 girls born in 2025.

Around the world: about 1 in 1,600 girls in Austria (2025) · about 1 in 3,000 girls in Scotland (2025) · about 1 in 6,300 girls in England & Wales (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 8 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Dorotheas

Dorothea Lange — American photojournalist (1895-1965)
Dorothea Wierer — Italian biathlete and military athlete
Dorothea Christiane Erxleben — physician (1715–1762)
Dorothea Tanning — American painter (1910–2012)
Dorothea of Brandenburg — Queen consort of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

In stories & tradition

Dorothea Arnault — Fire Emblem: Three Houses · Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
Dorothea "Doortje" Van Hoeck — F.C. De Kampioenen · F.C. De Kampioenen: Kampioen zijn blijft plezant
Dorothea — The Cheetah Girls · The Cheetah Girls 2

What Dorotheas become

Among 922 notable people named Dorothea:

Medical professionals appear 3.59× more often than among typical names — e.g. Dorothea Christiane Erxleben, physician (1715–1762).

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.