Dorothy
DOR-uh-thee
Dorothy means “gift of God,” a classic English girl’s name with deep Christian roots.
Meaning
Dorothy comes through Dorothea from the Greek elements doron, meaning “gift,” and theos, meaning “God.” The excerpts explicitly give the meaning as “gift of God,” and note its long popularity in English, including forms like Dolly and Dort. It was once a very common English name, later falling out of favor and then returning to use.
Origin
GreekEnglishfeminine
Fun fact
The excerpts note that “Dolly” became such a common nickname for Dorothy that it even turned into a generic word for wooden children’s dolls.