Girls' name · since 1885
Dorthy
Since 1885, U.S. Social Security records show 20,338 babies named Dorthy, peaking in 1927. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1,055 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #10,945 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 20,338
- born since 1885
- 1920s
- peak decade
Yes -- Dorthy is the #10945 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 20,338 recorded since 1885.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Dorthy has been recorded 20,338 times among girls since 1885, currently ranked #10945 nationally and more common than 37% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1885 to 2025.
- #1,055 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #10,945 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 20,338 born since 1885
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Dorthy ranks #1,055 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #10,945 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 20,338 born since 1885, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1,055 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #10,945 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 20,338
- born since 1885
- 1920s
- peak decade
Dorthy's 20,338 recorded births place it above 98.54% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
36 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Dorthy compares
20,338 Top 6% higher than 94% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Dorthy's all-time total is 54x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Dorthy | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 20,338 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 695 | 21 | 19,840 |
Dorthy's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Dorthy's SSA record in two at 1957 and the more recent half accounts for 10% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 90%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1897, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1927 peak of 695, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Dorthy popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1885–2025
- Peak year (1927)
- 695
- Annual births at peak, across 141 years of records
Dorthy popularity over time - boys
79 total births recorded since 1923 (Dorthy as boys' name)
Dorthy by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (5,748 births, 28% of the file).
1920s was Dorthy's strongest decade.
5,748 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Dorthy births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 19
1880s
19 births
- 1890s 72
1890s
72 births
- 1900s 347
1900s
347 births
- 1910s 2,125
1910s
2,125 births
- 1920s
1920s
5,748 births
- 1930s
1930s
5,178 births
- 1940s
1940s
3,345 births
- 1950s 1,828
1950s
1,828 births
- 1960s 795
1960s
795 births
- 1970s 343
1970s
343 births
- 1980s 212
1980s
212 births
- 1990s 129
1990s
129 births
- 2000s 78
2000s
78 births
- 2010s 72
2010s
72 births
- 2020s 47
2020s
47 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 5,748 births (28% of all-time use).
How Dorthy 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 Dorthy's total volume
Dorthy by state
Where Dorthy concentrates geographically, total births since 1885
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 2,045 | 10.1% |
| #2 | Mississippi | | 1,664 | 8.2% |
| #3 | Arkansas | | 1,449 | 7.1% |
| #4 | Tennessee | | 1,409 | 6.9% |
| #5 | Kentucky | | 1,146 | 5.6% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 1,046 | 5.1% |
| #7 | Oklahoma | | 844 | 4.1% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 826 | 4.1% |
2,045 of 20,338 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 36 reporting states.
Dorthy appears in 36 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Dorthy? ▼
Where does Dorthy sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Dorthy most popular? ▼
Where is Dorthy most popular? ▼
How long has the name Dorthy been used? ▼
What names are similar to Dorthy? ▼
What to do with Dorthy's data
- Dorthy's decade-level peak was the 1920s (5,748 total births); usage has since declined to 47 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Dorthys (2,045 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Dorthy
Nearby Names Like Dorthy
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Dorthy
Compare Dorthy side by side: Dorthy vs Dorothy Dorthy vs Doris Dorthy vs Dora
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Dorthy
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Dorthy: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1927)
Similar record span (~140 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, 1885–2025 (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 Dorthy 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.