Dorothy

Dorothy is a female given name of Greek origin. It is derived from Dorothea, from the Greek dorothea meaning “gift of God.” The name has several diminutives and variants, including Dot, Dottie, Dolly, and Dora.

In English-speaking countries, Dorothy rose to widespread use in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It remained popular through the mid-20th century and has since become less common, though it continues to appear in literature and on name lists. The name often carries associations with classic literature and cinema.

Notable people named Dorothy include Dorothy Day, American social activist and co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement; Dorothy Parker, American writer and critic; Dorothy Vaughan, American mathematician and one of NASA’s early computer scientists; Dorothy Hamill, American figure skater; and Dorothy Malone, American actress.

In popular culture, Dorothy is best known as Dorothy Gale, the protagonist of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and its adaptations, notably the 1939 film. The character’s journey to the Land of Oz and the song “Over the Rainbow” are iconic. The name also appears in other works and in television, such as Dorothy Zbornak of The Golden Girls.

Variants include Dorothea in various languages, with diminutives such as Dot, Dottie, and Dolly. The French form is Dorothee, while Polish uses Dorota. The name remains part of onomastic studies of Anglophone given names.