Girl name · Greek
Dolly
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: gift of GodDolly is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "gift of God". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Gift of God
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #1781 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Dolly
As a girl's name, Dolly comes from Greek and means "gift of God". It is used in English.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Dolly on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Dolly on 8 lists.
“A traditional pet form of Dorothy”
From Nicknames that start with D, nicknames for names that start with D
“Pet form of Dorothy, gift of God; Dolly Parton's name”
From Country girl names, names of country music legends
“Short for Dorothy, gift of God; country music royalty”
From Cowboy names, cowgirl names
“Sweet, cheerful and old-fashioned”
From Funny names for turkeys, girl turkey names (for hens)
“For a kitten who happily rides around in your arms”
From Female cat names, cute girl cat names
“Big hair, big heart, like a country music legend”
From Girl dog names, royal and diva names for girl dogs
“Scotland's famous cloned sheep had this name too”
From Highland cattle names, cute Highland cow names
“Gift of God; Greek. Pet form of Dorothy”
From Vintage girl names, cute old fashioned nickname names
How popular is Dolly?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,781
- 113 babies, 70 per million girls
- Best rank
- #277 in 1881
- Most babies: 395 in 1926
- Babies since 1880
- At least 20,592
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 306 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 270 per million |
| 1900s | 337 per million |
| 1910s | 296 per million |
| 1920s | 306 per million |
| 1930s | 299 per million |
| 1940s | 176 per million |
| 1950s | 126 per million |
| 1960s | 80 per million |
| 1970s | 61 per million |
| 1980s | 31 per million |
| 1990s | 17 per million |
| 2000s | 9 per million |
| 2010s | 19 per million |
| 2020s | 65 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,664 | #3,259 | #3,064 | #3,015 | #2,727 | #2,157 | #1,807 | #1,617 | #1,632 | #1,781 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Dolly
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- DorotaGift of God (Greek, girl)
- DoroteaGift of God (Greek, girl)
- DorotheaGift of God (Greek, girl)
- DorothyGift of God (Greek, girl)
- DörtheGift of God (Greek, girl)
- DottieGift of God (Greek, girl)
- FeodoraGift of God (Greek, girl)
- TeddieGift of God (Greek, girl)
- TeodoraGift of God (Greek, girl)
- TeodosiaGift of God (Greek, girl)
- ThedaGift of God (Greek, girl)
- TheodoraGift of God (Greek, girl)
Names spelled like Dolly
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- DellaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- DilayHeart moon (Turkish, girl)
- DolagWorld ruler (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- TheoGift of God (Greek, boy)
- DoraGift (Greek, girl)
- IsadoraGift of Isis (Greek, girl)
- MatthiasGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- EudoraGood gift (Greek, girl)
- HeliodoraGift of the sun (Greek, girl)
- HeliodoroGift of the sun (Greek, boy)
- JessePossibly gift, or existence (Hebrew, boy)
- MateoGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MatteoGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
Middle names for Dolly
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- CelesteHeavenly, of the sky (Latin, girl)
- FaithFaith, trust (English, girl)
- HazelHazel tree (Old English, girl)
- IsabellaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- PearlPrecious gem from the sea (Latin, girl)
- PrudenceForesight, good sense (Latin, girl)
- SophiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- ValentinaStrong, healthy (Latin, girl)
More girl names from Greek
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- IrisA rainbow (Greek, girl)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- ChristinaFollower of Christ (Greek, girl)
- NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
Dolly: common questions
What does the name Dolly mean?
Dolly comes from Greek and means "gift of God".
Is Dolly a boy or girl name?
Dolly is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Dolly come from?
Dolly comes from Greek and means "gift of God". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Dolly?
Dolly ranked #1,781 in the US in 2025, with 113 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Dolly?
Forms of Dolly with the same meaning and origin include Dorota (Polish), Dorotea (Italian), Dorothea (German), Dorothy (English) and Dörthe (German).
What middle names go with Dolly?
Middle names that flow well with Dolly include Celeste, Faith, Hazel, Isabella and Pearl. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.