Holding steady.
Popularity of Dorothia since 1912
Babies named Dorothia per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1929, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Dorothia's real moment was 1912.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 35 |
| 1920s | 58 |
| 1930s | 7 |
| 1940s | 6 |
| 1950s | 5 |
| 1960s | 16 |
| 1970s | 5 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Dorothia is a rare spelling variant of Dorothy, a name that enjoyed widespread popularity in the United States during the early 1900s. While Dorothy ranked among the top 10 names for much of the 1910s and 1920s, Dorothia itself was first recorded in 1912, a peak year that saw just a handful of births. According to Social Security data, Dorothia has never ranked in the top 1000 names, and its usage appears to have been limited to that single year. As a result, it is considered an obscure variant, with a trajectory described as stable but minuscule. Unlike the parent name Dorothy, which saw a revival in part due to popular culture, Dorothia has remained exceptionally rare. No U.S. states recorded significant usage of this spelling.
Dorothia is a variant spelling of Dorothy, which derives from the Greek name Dorothea, composed of dōron (gift) and theos (god). The name Dorothy became popular in English-speaking countries after the Protestant Reformation and remained common through the early 20th century. This particular spelling was recorded in the United States in 1912.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Dot, Dottie, Dolly, Thea
Sibling names for Dorothia
Names that share Dorothia's style, for a brother or sister.
