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.
- #7,330 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,035
- born since 1912
- 1950s
- peak 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.
- #7,330 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 1,035 born since 1912
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Dorethea ranks #7,330 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,035 born since 1912, peaking in the 1950s.
- #7,330 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,035
- born since 1912
- 1950s
- peak decade
Dorethea's 1,035 recorded births place it above 89.86% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
6 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Louisiana.
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 popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–1977
- Peak year (1956)
- 32
- Annual births at peak, across 66 years of records
Dorethea by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (225 births, 22% of the file).
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
- 1910s 89
1910s
89 births
- 1920s
1920s
179 births
- 1930s
1930s
176 births
- 1940s
1940s
144 births
- 1950s
1950s
225 births
- 1960s
1960s
167 births
- 1970s 55
1970s
55 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 225 births (22% of all-time use).
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 by state
Where Dorethea concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| 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% |
24 of 1,035 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Dorethea? ▼
Where does Dorethea sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Dorethea most popular? ▼
Where is Dorethea most popular? ▼
How long has the name Dorethea been used? ▼
What names are similar to Dorethea? ▼
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
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
Compare Dorethea side by side: Dorethea vs Dorothy Dorethea vs Doris Dorethea 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 Dorethea: 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 (~65 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, 1912–1977 (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 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 August 2026.