Dorlis

Meaning & origin

Dorlis is a rare American name that first appeared in U.S. Social Security records in 1923, at the height of the flapper era. Its peak came in 1930, when it was given to a handful of baby girls, likely inspired by the more common Doris (then ranked in the top 50) with a fashionable -lis suffix. Since then, Dorlis has maintained a stable trajectory of extremely low use, with no notable resurgence. It was never recorded in any state's top 100 names, reflecting its niche status as an inventive, family-specific choice. The name's mild rise in the 1930s suggests it fit the pattern of soft, feminine names of the era, but it never caught on widely. Today, Dorlis remains a true rarity, a relic of early 20th-century naming creativity.

Dorlis appears to be a 20th-century American coinage, probably formed from the name Doris or Dora (both derived from Greek dōron, meaning 'gift') with the popular -lis suffix seen in names like Marlis or Charlis. It first appeared in the 1920s, reached a modest peak in 1930, and has remained in very rare use ever since.