Girls' name · since 1896
Doretha
8,562 babies named Doretha in U.S. Social Security records since 1896, with the highest year being 1956. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1,848 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 8,562
- born since 1896
- 1950s
- peak decade
Doretha sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 8,562 recorded since 1896.
Social Security Administration records show Doretha recorded 8,562 times among girls since 1896, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1896 to 1998.
- #1,848 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 8,562 born since 1896
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Doretha ranks #1,848 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 8,562 born since 1896, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1,848 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 8,562
- born since 1896
- 1950s
- peak decade
Doretha's 8,562 recorded births place it above 97.44% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
24 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by North Carolina.
Doretha's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Doretha's full recorded timeline at 1949, 44% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 56% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1904, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1956 peak of 198 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Doretha popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1896–1998
- Peak year (1956)
- 198
- Annual births at peak, across 103 years of records
Doretha by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (1,833 births, 21% of the file).
1950s was Doretha's strongest decade.
1,833 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Doretha births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 6
1890s
6 births
- 1900s 88
1900s
88 births
- 1910s 541
1910s
541 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,379 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,451 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,496 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,833 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,123 births
- 1970s 400
1970s
400 births
- 1980s 186
1980s
186 births
- 1990s 59
1990s
59 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 1,833 births (21% of all-time use).
How Doretha compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Doretha's total volume
Doretha by state
Where Doretha concentrates geographically, total births since 1896
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 994 | 11.6% |
| #2 | Louisiana | | 921 | 10.8% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 680 | 7.9% |
| #4 | Mississippi | | 642 | 7.5% |
| #5 | South Carolina | | 609 | 7.1% |
| #6 | Florida | | 514 | 6.0% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 390 | 4.6% |
| #8 | Texas | | 342 | 4.0% |
994 of 8,562 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 24 reporting states.
Doretha appears in 24 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Doretha? ▼
Where does Doretha sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Doretha most popular? ▼
Where is Doretha most popular? ▼
How long has the name Doretha been used? ▼
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What to do with Doretha's data
- Doretha's decade-level peak was the 1950s (1,833 total births); usage has since declined to 59 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Dorethas (994 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Doretha
Nearby Names Like Doretha
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Doretha
Compare Doretha side by side: Doretha vs Dorothy Doretha vs Doris Doretha vs Dora
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Doretha: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1956)
Similar record span (~102 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1896–1998 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Doretha draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.