Girls' name · since 1912

Dorethea

Dorethea has 1,035 recorded births since 1912 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1956 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

1,035
total births
1912–1977
years on record
1950s
peak decade
22%
born in that decade

1,035 girls have been named Dorethea since 1912, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.

Dorethea has 1,035 recorded births among girls since 1912, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 1977.

  • 1,035 total births
  • 1912–1977 years on record
  • 1950s peak decade
  • 22% born in that decade

Data updated Jun 2026

The verdict

1,035 girls have been named Dorethea since 1912, peaking in the 1950s, last recorded in 1977.

1,035
total births
1912–1977
years on record
1950s
peak decade
22%
born in that decade
1950s
Peak decade

22% of everyone ever named Dorethea was born in this single decade.

1956
Single peak year

32 babies were named Dorethea in 1956 - its busiest year on record.

Dorethea's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Dorethea's full recorded timeline at 1944, 53% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 47% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1976, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1956 peak of 32 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Dorethea at a glance

Last recorded 1977

Total births

1,035

Since 1912

66 years of records

Peak year

1956

32 births that year

Strongest decade: 1950s

Current rank

Unranked

Outside the modern top-1,000

As of 1977

Active since

1912

Recorded for 66 years

Last year on file: 1977

Dorethea popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–1977

Last recorded 1977
Peak year (1956)
32
Annual births at peak, across 66 years of records
010203040 191219211930193919481957196619761977 6

Dorethea by decade

Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance

1950s was Dorethea's strongest decade.

225 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.

Dorethea births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1950s at 225 births (22% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of June 2026

How Dorethea 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 Dorethea's total volume

Dorethea vs 15 similarly-sized girls names

Dorethea vs 15 similarly-sized girls names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%5%10%15%20% 050100150 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year Dorethea
Dorethea vs 15 similarly-sized girls names

Dorethea by state

Where Dorethea concentrates geographically, total births since 1912

Geographically diffuse
Top 6 states by recorded births for the name Dorethea
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 Louisiana
24 2.3%
#2 North Carolina
23 2.2%
#3 South Carolina
13 1.3%
#4 New York
6 0.6%
#5 Illinois
5 0.5%
#6 Maryland
5 0.5%
Louisiana share of Dorethea's total US births 2.3%
Even split

24 of 1,035 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Dorethea? ▼
Since 1912, Social Security records show 1,035 babies named Dorethea. The most recent recorded year was 1977. Its busiest year on record was 1956, with 32 births.
When was Dorethea most popular? ▼
Dorethea was most popular in the 1950s decade with 225 total births. The single peak year was 1956.
Where is Dorethea most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Dorethea are Louisiana (24 births), North Carolina (23 births), South Carolina (13 births).
How long has the name Dorethea been used? ▼
Dorethea has been recorded in Social Security data since 1912, spanning 66 years of data through 1977.
What names are similar to Dorethea? ▼
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 Dorethea's data

  • Dorethea's decade-level peak was the 1950s (225 total births); usage has since declined to 55 in the 1970s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • Louisiana records the most Doretheas (24 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Louisiana 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 Dorethea

Nearby Names Like Dorethea

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Dorethea

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 Dorethea side by side: Dorethea vs Dorothy Dorethea vs Doris Dorethea vs Dora

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Rainy #6707
1,035 births · Peak 2014
Nadira #7362
1,035 births · Peak 2000
Tytianna #15904
1,035 births · Peak 1999
Amaira #2383
1,035 births · Peak 2022
Kylar #4513
1,036 births · Peak 2016
Messiah #7784
1,036 births · Peak 2006
Jailyne #2427
1,036 births · Peak 2017
Amyiah #7114
1,036 births · Peak 2015

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, 1912–1977 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Cite this page

NameAlmanac Editorial. "Dorethea: Baby Name Since 1912 - 1,035 Births, Peak 1956." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/dorethea. 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 Dorethea 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.