Dorothea

“God's gift” — Greek origin

Girl's name · #1782 in the US (2025) · Comeback

Dorothea was #174 in 1912, slipped to #8213 by 2007, and has climbed back to #1782 today. Roughly 34,000 girls have been named Dorothea since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records. Dorrie is a short form of Dorothea.

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 926 notable people named Dorothea:

Medical professionals appear 3.57× more often than among typical names — e.g. Dorothea Christiane Erxleben, physician (1715–1762).

Similar names: Dorothy · Inez · Doris · Lottie · Effie · Althea

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

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service