Girl name · Greek
Dorothea
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: gift of GodDorothea is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "gift of God". It is used in German, English and Greek.
- Meaning
- Gift of God
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- do-ro-TAY-ah (German)
Meaning and origin of Dorothea
As a girl's name, Dorothea comes from Greek and means "gift of God". It is used in German, English and Greek.
In German, say do-ro-TAY-ah. In Greek, say do-ro-THEH-ah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Dorothea on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Dorothea on 5 lists.
“Greek for gift of God”
From Bunny names, girl bunny names
“Gift of God; Greek. Say do-ro-TAY-ah”
From German girl names, old-fashioned German girl names
“Gift of God; Greek. Say do-ro-THEH-ah”
From Greek girl names, ancient Greek female names
“Gift of God; Greek, the fuller form of Dorothy”
From Unique girl names, unique vintage girl names
“Gift of God; Greek. The heroine of Middlemarch”
From Vintage girl names, victorian girl names
How popular is Dorothea?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,782
- 113 babies, 70 per million girls
- Best rank
- #174 in 1912
- Most babies: 1,110 in 1920
- Babies since 1880
- At least 34,421
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 264 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 363 per million |
| 1900s | 618 per million |
| 1910s | 950 per million |
| 1920s | 713 per million |
| 1930s | 392 per million |
| 1940s | 215 per million |
| 1950s | 156 per million |
| 1960s | 127 per million |
| 1970s | 50 per million |
| 1980s | 28 per million |
| 1990s | 17 per million |
| 2000s | 11 per million |
| 2010s | 20 per million |
| 2020s | 48 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,539 | #3,449 | #2,819 | #3,293 | #2,790 | #2,424 | #2,729 | #2,764 | #2,073 | #1,782 |
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 Dorothea
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- DollyGift of God (Greek, girl)
- DorotaGift of God (Greek, girl)
- DoroteaGift 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 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 Dorothea
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
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)
Dorothea: common questions
What does the name Dorothea mean?
Dorothea comes from Greek and means "gift of God".
Is Dorothea a boy or girl name?
Dorothea is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Dorothea come from?
Dorothea comes from Greek and means "gift of God". Today it is used in German, English and Greek.
How do you pronounce Dorothea?
In German, say do-ro-TAY-ah. In Greek, say do-ro-THEH-ah. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Dorothea?
Dorothea ranked #1,782 in the US in 2025, with 113 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Dorothea?
Forms of Dorothea with the same meaning and origin include Dolly (English), Dorota (Polish), Dorotea (Italian), Dorothy (English) and Dörthe (German).
What middle names go with Dorothea?
Middle names that flow well with Dorothea include Alice, Hazel, Jean, June and Poppy. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.