Name of the Week

 

A name that straddles an interesting divide between 
being quaint and homespun, and a dignified woman of substance.

  

Origin:

Dorothy is the anglicised form of Dorothea, a Greek name used in Late Antiquity. The name derives from a compound of δωρον (doron) "gift" and θεος (theos) "god".

Usage:

St Dorothea of Caesarea (or St Dorothy, as she became known to medieval Britons) was a Christian martyr in the 4th century. Her cult became widespread in Europe during the 14th century, when virgin saints were much revered, and, consequently, she is often depicted alongside St Barbara, St Catherine and St Margaret. The four of them became known as the "Virgines Capitales", the Main Virgins, and it is her association with them that often has Dorothy listed as a part of the "Fourteen Holy Helpers" who were invoked against the Black Death in 1346 to 1349. During the 15th century in Britain, not only was a great deal of artwork created depicting the saint but the name Dorothy came into popular use. At this time the 'th' was pronounced as a hard 't' (as with other names such as Anthony, Esther and Thomas) which can be seen in the spellings Doritie, Doritye, Dorety and Dorete*. The name was extremely popular throughout the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries and it is estimated that the name stood in the Top 20 most popular female names from at least 1538 to 1700*. In rare circumstances we can find boys in the 16th century called Dorothie or Dorie but this is most likely a form of the masculine name Dorotheus, also borne by a saint of Late Antiquity. The name saw a slight decline in popularity during the 18th century, although we can still find it in consistent use. It was revived to great popularity in the 19th century and in 1904 the name was the 5th most popular name for girls. It was #4 in 1914, #5 in 1924, #11 in 1934, #31 in 1944, and finally ranked at #67 in 1954. The name has not been in the Top 100 since.  In the 16th century the name was abbreviated to Doll and Dolly. By the 18th century it was more commonly shortened to Dora, and later, in the 19th century, Dodo, Dot, Dotty and Thea were used. Dorti has been used as a diminutive in Wales while, in Ireland, Dorothy was used to anglicise Doireann / Doirend. In 2010 the name ranked #695 in England and Wales with 53 births. Dolly ranked slightly higher at #664 with 56 births. The name has been steadily rising since 1996 when it ranked #1072 with only 18 births. Two babies were named Dorothy in Scotland in 2010, but none in 2011.

Famous Bearers:

History: * St Dorothea of Caesarea (St Dorothy) was a 4th century martyr who was killed for refusing to marry or worship Roman gods. Legend has it that a lawyer named Theophilus jeeringly asked her "Send me some of the apples and roses from that garden you speak of, where you are going to your bridegroom." It being winter, both were impossible to get. On her death she prayed for Theophilus and an angel appeared at her side with a basket of three apples and three flowers. Consequently, St Dorothy is considered the patron of brides, newlyweds, florists and gardeners. Her feast day is February 6th.  * Dorothy Wordsworth (1771 — 1855) was a poet, sister of William Wordsworth.  * Dorothy Garrod CBE (1892 — 1968) was a British archaeologist and first woman to hold an Oxbridge chair.  * Dorothy Thompson (1893 — 1961) was an American journalist and radio broadcaster. She is often known as the “First Lady of American Journalism.” * Dorothy L. Sayers (1893 — 1957) was a British poet, playwright and novelist.  * Dorothy Fields (1905 — 1974) was a hugely successful American songwriter for Broadway musicals and Hollywood films.  * Dorothy Hodgkin (1910 — 1994) was a British chemist and Nobel Prize winner. * Dorothy Lamour (1914 — 1996) was an American Hollywood actress.  * Dorothy Dandridge (1922 — 1965) was an American actress and was the first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in her role in Carmen Jones (1954). * Dorothy Faye Dunaway (b.1941) is the birth name of actress Faye Dunaway.  Literature: * Dorothy Gale is the heroine in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) by Frank Baum, and later the 1939 movie adaptation The Wizard of Oz.

Variants:

Dorothea (Original Greek, Danish, Dutch, German, Norwegian), Doroteya (Bulgarian, Russian), Doryty (Cornish), Dorota (Czech, Polish), Dorotea (Finnish, Italian, Spanish, Swedish), Dorothée (French), Dorottya (Hungarian), Doroteia (Portuguese), Doroteja (Serbian, Slovene), Dorti (Welsh)

Pronunciation:

DO-rə-thee (modern UK) DO-rə-tee (original English) [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Dee, Dodie, Dodo, Doll, Dolly, Dora, Dorit, Doro, Dorti, Dory, Dot, Dottie, Rory, Teddy, Thea, Theo

Sibling Names:

Millicent      Lillian     Agatha     Mabel     Claribel     Agnes  Alfred     Walter     Francis     Chester     Edwin     Wilfred

Name Lists:

Funky-Clunky   Terrifically Tudor   Gorgeously Georgian   Victorian Darlings   Golden Age Hollywood   Saintly and Stylish   Names of Roses

 

If you like Dorothy you may also like:   Pearl, Margaret, Olive, Rosemary, Marigold, Theodora, Dorinda, Mildred, Davina, Elspeth