Dorothy
#421 for girls in 2025, 743 births · Last seen for boys in 1989 at #6,941
Given to girls 99.7% of the time
Showing
- Peak · girls
- 1924 · 39,996 births
- Debut · girls
- 112 births
- In top 100 · girls
- 72 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 1,112,231since 1880
Dorothy over time
girls
Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #421 | 743 | — | |
| 2024 | #429 | 718 | — | |
| 2023 | #463 | 664 | — | |
| 2022 | #486 | 645 | — | |
| 2021 | #483 | 649 | — | |
| 2020 | #535 | 565 | — | |
| 2019 | #561 | 546 | — | |
| 2018 | #580 | 530 | — | |
| 2017 | #590 | 507 | — | |
| 2016 | #644 | 456 | — | |
| 2015 | #714 | 398 | — | |
| 2014 | #727 | 385 | — | |
| 2013 | #806 | 335 | — | |
| 2012 | #922 | 279 | — | |
| 2011 | #927 | 279 | — | |
| 2010 | #1,027 | 243 | — | |
| 2009 | #1,116 | 227 | — | |
| 2008 | #1,070 | 244 | — | |
| 2007 | #1,003 | 263 | — | |
| 2006 | #976 | 267 | — | |
| 2005 | #1,025 | 237 | — | |
| 2004 | #848 | 290 | — | |
| 2003 | #835 | 292 | — | |
| 2002 | #867 | 264 | — | |
| 2001 | #750 | 319 | — | |
| 2000 | #736 | 314 | — | |
| 1999 | #678 | 335 | — | |
| 1998 | #710 | 312 | — | |
| 1997 | #682 | 316 | — | |
| 1996 | #640 | 350 | — | |
| 1995 | #597 | 377 | — | |
| 1994 | #549 | 443 | — | |
| 1993 | #515 | 476 | — | |
| 1992 | #486 | 509 | — | |
| 1991 | #486 | 497 | — | |
| 1990 | #426 | 596 | — | |
| 1989 | #398 | 620 | #6,941 | 6 |
| 1988 | #396 | 608 | — | |
| 1987 | #381 | 614 | — | |
| 1986 | #373 | 629 | — | |
| 1985 | #332 | 719 | #6,523 | 5 |
| 1984 | #340 | 681 | — | |
| 1983 | #305 | 759 | #5,484 | 6 |
| 1982 | #298 | 829 | — | |
| 1981 | #307 | 788 | #6,262 | 5 |
| 1980 | #278 | 896 | — | |
| 1979 | #272 | 890 | — | |
| 1978 | #260 | 914 | — | |
| 1977 | #269 | 933 | — | |
| 1976 | #240 | 982 | — | |
| 1975 | #250 | 976 | #5,464 | 5 |
| 1974 | #232 | 1,098 | — | |
| 1973 | #215 | 1,175 | #4,054 | 7 |
| 1972 | #218 | 1,273 | #3,963 | 7 |
| 1971 | #191 | 1,624 | — | |
| 1970 | #180 | 1,799 | #4,724 | 5 |
| 1969 | #181 | 1,776 | #2,549 | 12 |
| 1968 | #157 | 2,086 | #2,576 | 11 |
| 1967 | #148 | 2,314 | #2,352 | 12 |
| 1966 | #136 | 2,664 | #2,327 | 12 |
| 1965 | #130 | 2,961 | #2,270 | 13 |
| 1964 | #118 | 3,533 | #2,409 | 12 |
| 1963 | #116 | 3,796 | #2,673 | 10 |
| 1962 | #111 | 4,073 | #2,035 | 16 |
| 1961 | #99 | 4,732 | #2,322 | 13 |
| 1960 | #95 | 5,076 | #1,772 | 21 |
| 1959 | #94 | 5,231 | #2,200 | 14 |
| 1958 | #86 | 5,539 | #1,766 | 20 |
| 1957 | #74 | 6,405 | #1,511 | 27 |
| 1956 | #72 | 6,858 | #1,676 | 22 |
| 1955 | #64 | 7,242 | #1,396 | 30 |
| 1954 | #55 | 7,789 | #1,628 | 22 |
| 1953 | #49 | 8,162 | #1,765 | 19 |
| 1952 | #46 | 8,609 | #1,517 | 25 |
| 1951 | #42 | 9,089 | #1,344 | 30 |
| 1950 | #35 | 9,551 | #1,364 | 28 |
| 1949 | #32 | 10,410 | #1,409 | 27 |
| 1948 | #29 | 11,324 | #1,487 | 24 |
| 1947 | #26 | 12,753 | #1,297 | 32 |
| 1946 | #23 | 12,797 | #1,060 | 42 |
| 1945 | #21 | 12,323 | #864 | 52 |
| 1944 | #19 | 13,379 | #935 | 47 |
| 1943 | #19 | 14,793 | #808 | 66 |
| 1942 | #17 | 15,037 | #821 | 62 |
| 1941 | #14 | 14,566 | #729 | 72 |
| 1940 | #12 | 14,875 | #653 | 85 |
| 1939 | #9 | 15,169 | #695 | 73 |
| 1938 | #8 | 16,358 | #590 | 99 |
| 1937 | #8 | 16,572 | #700 | 73 |
| 1936 | #6 | 17,666 | #573 | 101 |
| 1935 | #6 | 19,406 | #525 | 121 |
| 1934 | #5 | 21,281 | #549 | 116 |
| 1933 | #4 | 22,054 | #524 | 117 |
| 1932 | #4 | 24,974 | #558 | 112 |
| 1931 | #3 | 26,524 | #478 | 141 |
| 1930 | #3 | 30,411 | #480 | 153 |
| 1929 | #3 | 31,476 | #536 | 118 |
| 1928 | #3 | 33,733 | #552 | 122 |
| 1927 | #2 | 35,993 | #553 | 124 |
| 1926 | #2 | 36,618 | #563 | 119 |
| 1925 | #2 | 38,570 | #639 | 99 |
| 1924 | #2 | 39,996 | #638 | 101 |
| 1923 | #2 | 39,043 | #668 | 92 |
| 1922 | #2 | 37,716 | #840 | 66 |
| 1921 | #2 | 39,087 | #692 | 87 |
| 1920 | #2 | 36,643 | #754 | 76 |
| 1919 | #3 | 31,733 | #799 | 66 |
| 1918 | #3 | 32,030 | #855 | 59 |
| 1917 | #3 | 28,852 | #822 | 60 |
| 1916 | #3 | 27,418 | #698 | 72 |
| 1915 | #3 | 25,154 | #941 | 44 |
| 1914 | #3 | 18,782 | #855 | 40 |
| 1913 | #3 | 14,674 | #696 | 43 |
| 1912 | #3 | 12,645 | #649 | 42 |
| 1911 | #4 | 8,869 | #533 | 31 |
| 1910 | #4 | 7,318 | #582 | 24 |
| 1909 | #5 | 6,253 | #505 | 26 |
| 1908 | #6 | 5,703 | #585 | 19 |
| 1907 | #6 | 4,967 | #511 | 21 |
| 1906 | #6 | 4,326 | #503 | 20 |
| 1905 | #7 | 3,937 | #741 | 11 |
| 1904 | #10 | 3,477 | #538 | 17 |
| 1903 | #11 | 3,078 | #910 | 7 |
| 1902 | #15 | 2,707 | #933 | 7 |
| 1901 | #22 | 2,173 | — | |
| 1900 | #27 | 2,491 | #968 | 8 |
| 1899 | #35 | 1,687 | #786 | 8 |
| 1898 | #43 | 1,671 | — | |
| 1897 | #43 | 1,472 | #942 | 6 |
| 1896 | #46 | 1,366 | — | |
| 1895 | #57 | 1,127 | #1,079 | 5 |
| 1894 | #58 | 1,052 | #857 | 7 |
| 1893 | #68 | 821 | — | |
| 1892 | #79 | 626 | — | |
| 1891 | #76 | 566 | — | |
| 1890 | #93 | 458 | — | |
| 1889 | #102 | 377 | — | |
| 1888 | #103 | 373 | — | |
| 1887 | #111 | 272 | — | |
| 1886 | #122 | 230 | — | |
| 1885 | #128 | 196 | — | |
| 1884 | #137 | 163 | — | |
| 1883 | #137 | 141 | — | |
| 1882 | #150 | 115 | — | |
| 1881 | #144 | 109 | — | |
| 1880 | #139 | 112 | — | |
First appearance
1880
In the first year the SSA published name data, Dorothy was already there! It came in at #139, and was given to 112 baby girls.
Quietest stretch: 1880–1884, when fewer than 170 girls a year got the name.
Where Dorothy is popular in 1940
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · girls
- Mississippi#3 · 1 in 37
- Alabama#4 · 1 in 45
- Louisiana#4 · 1 in 47
- South Carolina#4 · 1 in 48
- Florida#5 · 1 in 46
Best ever in a state: #1 in Oregon, 1910.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | #3 | 605 | 1 in 37 |
| Alabama | #4 | 663 | 1 in 45 |
| Louisiana | #4 | 502 | 1 in 47 |
| South Carolina | #4 | 461 | 1 in 48 |
| Florida | #5 | 324 | 1 in 46 |
| Arkansas | #6 | 353 | 1 in 54 |
| North Carolina | #6 | 702 | 1 in 54 |
| Alaska | #8 | 11 | 1 in 34 |
| Delaware | #8 | 38 | 1 in 42 |
| Georgia | #8 | 575 | 1 in 55 |
| Maryland | #8 | 272 | 1 in 48 |
| Rhode Island | #8 | 85 | 1 in 53 |
| Tennessee | #8 | 516 | 1 in 55 |
| Texas | #8 | 829 | 1 in 72 |
| New Jersey | #9 | 430 | 1 in 60 |
| Virginia | #9 | 429 | 1 in 58 |
| New Mexico | #10 | 74 | 1 in 79 |
| Pennsylvania | #10 | 1,167 | 1 in 64 |
| North Dakota | #12 | 81 | 1 in 66 |
| New York | #13 | 1,119 | 1 in 80 |
| Maine | #14 | 82 | 1 in 75 |
| Massachusetts | #14 | 417 | 1 in 70 |
| District of Columbia | #15 | 89 | 1 in 69 |
| Hawaii | #15 | 41 | 1 in 82 |
| Kentucky | #15 | 341 | 1 in 84 |
| New Hampshire | #15 | 45 | 1 in 74 |
| Colorado | #16 | 116 | 1 in 78 |
| Connecticut | #16 | 136 | 1 in 78 |
| Montana | #16 | 60 | 1 in 71 |
| Arizona | #17 | 55 | 1 in 88 |
| West Virginia | #17 | 229 | 1 in 83 |
| Missouri | #18 | 347 | 1 in 81 |
| Oklahoma | #18 | 211 | 1 in 96 |
| Vermont | #18 | 32 | 1 in 79 |
| South Dakota | #19 | 65 | 1 in 73 |
| Wyoming | #19 | 22 | 1 in 75 |
| Illinois | #21 | 662 | 1 in 85 |
| Kansas | #21 | 143 | 1 in 86 |
| Nebraska | #22 | 106 | 1 in 87 |
| Ohio | #22 | 539 | 1 in 98 |
| Iowa | #23 | 198 | 1 in 100 |
| Michigan | #23 | 431 | 1 in 101 |
| Idaho | #25 | 43 | 1 in 99 |
| Indiana | #25 | 232 | 1 in 116 |
| Oregon | #25 | 80 | 1 in 89 |
| California | #26 | 393 | 1 in 127 |
| Minnesota | #29 | 192 | 1 in 118 |
| Washington | #29 | 94 | 1 in 123 |
| Wisconsin | #30 | 193 | 1 in 125 |
| Utah | #32 | 40 | 1 in 125 |
| Nevada | #42 | 5 | 1 in 105 |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Dorothy
Momentum · girls
Rising
- 8 spots since 2024 (#429 → #421)
- 114 spots since 2020 (#535 → #421)
- 293 spots since 2015 (#714 → #421)
- Biggest jump: 116 spots in 2013 (#922 → #806)
- Biggest drop: 177 spots in 2005 (#848 → #1,025)
Rise & fade · girls
44 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1924 at #2 (39,996 births)
- Births halved by 1935, 11 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 10 for 36 yrs
- Top 10: 36 yrs · run 1904–1939
- Top 100: 72 yrs · run 1890–1961
- Top 1,000: 141 yrs · run 1880–2004
Share of babies · girls
1 in 31
- Highest: 1 in 31 girls born in 1923 were named Dorothy (3.2%)
- Latest: 1 in 2,163 girls born in 2025 (0.05%)
- Its best rank, #2 in 1924, was only 1 in 31 (3.2%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 1920s
- 33.2% of all girls named Dorothy (368,875) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,088 | #102 (1889) | #127 |
| 1890s | 10,846 | #35 (1899) | #60 |
| 1900s | 39,112 | #5 (1909) | #12 |
| 1910s | 207,475 | #3 (1918) | #3 |
| 1920s | 368,875 | #2 (1924) | #2 |
| 1930s | 210,415 | #3 (1930) | #6 |
| 1940s | 132,257 | #12 (1940) | #21 |
| 1950s | 74,475 | #35 (1950) | #62 |
| 1960s | 33,011 | #95 (1960) | #129 |
| 1970s | 11,664 | #180 (1970) | #233 |
| 1980s | 7,143 | #278 (1980) | #341 |
| 1990s | 4,211 | #426 (1990) | #577 |
| 2000s | 2,717 | #736 (2000) | #923 |
| 2010s | 3,958 | #561 (2019) | #750 |
| 2020s | 3,984 | #421 (2025) | #470 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Dorothy in 1940
girls
#12
14,875 births · 1 in 77 girls
boys
#653
85 births · 1 in 13,637 boys
Top girls' names in 1940
Top boys' names in 1940
More about 1940
girls
1,143,528 girls got a published name in 1940; 1 in 77 of them was named Dorothy, which outranked 99.8% of the 5,028 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Dorothy
Biggest movers since 1939
Risers
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,159,172 boys got a published name in 1940; 1 in 13,637 of them was named Dorothy, which outranked 83.4% of the 3,937 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).