A 1880s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Dorcas since 1880
Babies named Dorcas per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1923, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Dorcas's real moment was 1880.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 104 |
| 1890s | 145 |
| 1900s | 226 |
| 1910s | 771 |
| 1920s | 1,211 |
| 1930s | 886 |
| 1940s | 750 |
| 1950s | 796 |
| 1960s | 710 |
| 1970s | 419 |
| 1980s | 334 |
| 1990s | 275 |
| 2000s | 221 |
| 2010s | 256 |
| 2020s | 164 |
Meaning & origin
Dorcas is a name of Greek origin meaning 'gazelle.' It appears in the New Testament as the Greek equivalent of Tabitha, a woman raised from the dead by Peter. The name was especially popular among Puritans in the 17th century and saw occasional use in the United States, with its peak rank of 3,975 occurring in 1880, the first year of Social Security data. Since 2007, the name has been rising in popularity, though it remains rare, with about 1 in 44,646 births in the latest year. Dorcas was most frequently given in Iowa during its peak decade of the 1880s.
Dorcas is the Greek name (Δορκάς) for a gazelle. In the New Testament, Dorcas (also called Tabitha in Aramaic) was a Christian woman in Joppa known for her good works and charity; after her death, Peter raised her from the dead. The name was used among early Christians but became common among Puritans in the 17th century, and it was occasionally used in the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Where Dorcas is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Dora, Dorie, Dolly
Variants: Tabitha
Sibling names for Dorcas
Names that share Dorcas's style, for a brother or sister.
