Dorothea

Did you know?

A few things about Dorothea you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Dorothea

Dorothea Lange

American photojournalist (1895-1965)

Choose Dorothea and your child shares a first name with Dorothea Lange, an American photojournalist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Dorothea, like who?” Dorothea Lange's Wikipedia article is available in 57 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Dorothea Lange on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Dorothea_Lange_1936.jpg: Dorothea_Lange ??? derivative work: Svajcr (talk), Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 14,225 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Dorothea, 113 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Dorothea would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryDorothea has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Dorotheas, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1912, when it ranked #174. Today it's #1,777, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📈Then vs nowDorothea is 7.1× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 101,010 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 14,225.
• 🚀TrendDorothea has climbed 1,002 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #1,777. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedDorothea is most popular in Washington, where it ranks #915. It's in the top 1,000 in 1 state.
• 💬MeaningIn Greek, Dorothea means “gift of God”.

About the name Dorothea

Dorothea is a girl name meaning “gift of God”. It has 8 letters and 3 syllables, starting with D and ending in “-hea”. US birth records list Dorothea for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1912, when it ranked #174 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,777, with 113 babies.