Dorothy
Dorothy comes from the Greek "Dōrothea" — "dōron" (gift) and "theos" (God). The name literally means "gift of God." It was the feminine equivalent of Theodore, which has the same meaning. Saint Dorothy was a 4th-century martyr in Caesarea, Cappadocia, executed for her faith. Dorothy was the most popular American girl name of the 1920s. It was #1 from 1920 to 1927, displacing Mary. The most famous bearer is Dorothy Gale, the heroine of L. Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (1900) and the 1939 film starring Judy Garland. The character gave the name a permanent pop-culture anchor — Dorothy with her ruby slippers and her dog Toto. I find Dorothy has a faded elegance — the "th" in the middle gives it an archaic texture, and the "y" ending gives it a vintage bounce. The name has been climbing again, re-entering the US top 500 in 2018. The nickname Dottie is one of the great retro pet forms. Dorothy Parker (1893-1967), the Algonquin Round Table wit, gave the name a literary edge that balances the Wizard of Oz association. Dorothy is a female name of Greek origin that means "Gift of God". Vintage, wry, and quietly brave. The name sounds like Kansas. Dorothys tend to be more interesting than they first appear. US #1 from 1920-1927. Re-entered top 500 in 2018. Well-known people named Dorothy include Dorothy Gale (fictional, Oz), Dorothy Parker (writer), Saint Dorothy (martyr), Dorothy Dandridge (actress). Common variations and related forms of Dorothy include Dorothea (Latin form), Dorotea (Italian/Spanish), Dorethea (variant), Dottie (nickname).