Total births
8,562
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.
- 8,562
- total births
- 1896–1998
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 21%
- born in that 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.
- 8,562 total births
- 1896–1998 years on record
- 1950s peak decade
- 21% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
8,562 girls have been named Doretha since 1896, peaking in the 1950s, last recorded in 1998.
- 8,562
- total births
- 1896–1998
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 21%
- born in that decade
1950s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Doretha was born in this single decade.
1956
Single peak year
198 babies were named Doretha in 1956 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 1998Peak year
1956
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1896
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
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% |
North Carolina share of Doretha's total US births 11.6%
Even split
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? ▼
Since 1896, Social Security records show 8,562 babies named Doretha. The most recent recorded year was 1998. Its busiest year on record was 1956, with 198 births.
When was Doretha most popular? ▼
Doretha was most popular in the 1950s decade with 1,833 total births. The single peak year was 1956.
Where is Doretha most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Doretha are North Carolina (994 births), Louisiana (921 births), Georgia (680 births).
How long has the name Doretha been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Doretha since 1896 -- 103 years through the most recent 1998 data.
What names are similar to Doretha? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Dorothy, Doris, Dora, Doreen, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
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
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare 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
Dorothy Girl
#430 1,112,231 births
Doris Girl
#2205 462,548 births
Dora Girl
#2585 105,930 births
Doreen Girl
#5810 46,431 births
Dorothea Girl
#2067 34,421 births
Compare Doretha side by side: Doretha vs Dorothy Doretha vs Doris Doretha vs Dora
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Doretha: Baby Name Since 1896 - 8,562 Births, Peak 1956." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/doretha. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 June 2026.