# Dora (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/dora/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | girls |
| Origin | Greek |
| Meaning | not recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdoɹ.ə/, 2 syllables |
| Nicknames | none recorded |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |
| US babies named this | 106,480 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 550 / 105,930 (99% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 652, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

A diminutive of Dorothy used since early 19th century. Sometimes also short for Theodora or Isidora.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 88 | 2,161 |
| 2012 | 93 | 2,068 |
| 2013 | 78 | 2,351 |
| 2014 | 88 | 2,156 |
| 2015 | 101 | 1,973 |
| 2016 | 111 | 1,857 |
| 2017 | 100 | 1,978 |
| 2018 | 75 | 2,408 |
| 2019 | 102 | 1,935 |
| 2020 | 73 | 2,399 |
| 2021 | 82 | 2,254 |
| 2022 | 71 | 2,511 |
| 2023 | 68 | 2,595 |
| 2024 | 68 | 2,589 |
| 2025 | 75 | 2,388 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 6 | 3,443 |
| 1952 | 6 | 3,464 |
| 1953 | 6 | 3,525 |
| 1957 | 8 | 3,082 |
| 1958 | 6 | 3,642 |
| 1959 | 6 | 3,708 |
| 1960 | 10 | 2,734 |
| 1961 | 5 | 4,216 |
| 1967 | 7 | 3,339 |
| 1968 | 6 | 3,813 |
| 1969 | 5 | 4,568 |
| 1975 | 6 | 4,979 |
| 1976 | 5 | 5,840 |
| 1978 | 7 | 4,674 |
| 1984 | 5 | 6,592 |

### England and Wales, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 28 | 1,168 |
| 2012 | 26 | 1,253 |
| 2013 | 30 | 1,148 |
| 2014 | 25 | 1,299 |
| 2015 | 27 | 1,240 |
| 2016 | 27 | 1,241 |
| 2017 | 23 | 1,411 |
| 2018 | 38 | 952 |
| 2019 | 33 | 1,039 |
| 2020 | 31 | 1,065 |
| 2021 | 30 | 1,128 |
| 2022 | 24 | 1,326 |
| 2023 | 32 | 1,056 |
| 2024 | 32 | 1,065 |
| 2025 | 25 | 1,271 |

## People named Dora

- Dora Pejačević, Croatian composer (1885–1923)
- Dora Boothby, English badminton and tennis player (1881–1970)
- Dora Carrington, British painter, photographer and decorative artist (1893–1932)
- Dora Gabe, Bulgarian poet
- Dora Bryan, British actress of stage, film and television (1923-2014)
- Dora Russell, British writer, feminist and socialist campaigner (1894-1986)
- Dora Ratjen, German high jumper (1918–2008)
- Dora Gerson, German actress (1899-1943)
- Dora Marsden, feminist, journal editor, author (1882–1960)
- Dora Doll, French actress (1922–2015)
- Dora Hitz, court painter to the Romanian royal family (1856-1924)
- Dora Kallmus, Austrian photographer (1881-1963)

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.