Dora
Short form of Dorothy and Theodora, both from Greek doron, “gift.”
1921peak year
No. 46best rank (1881)
106,480babies since 1880
—outside top 1000 in 2025
Popularity, 1880–2025
Dora appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1880 to 1909. Its biggest year was 1921, when 2,026 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 130 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1881, at No. 46. All told, 106,480 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other names that share a story: Dorothy
Explore Dora interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 7,288 | No. 46 |
| 1890s | 8,684 | No. 58 |
| 1900s | 8,011 | No. 79 |
| 1910s | 14,012 | No. 103 |
| 1920s | 18,335 | No. 130 |
| 1930s | 12,387 | No. 142 |
| 1940s | 9,717 | No. 181 |
| 1950s | 9,285 | No. 242 |
| 1960s | 7,418 | No. 308 |
| 1970s | 3,941 | No. 418 |
| 1980s | 2,378 | No. 609 |
| 1990s | 1,734 | No. 967 |
| 2000s | 1,384 | No. 1218 |
| 2010s | 919 | No. 1857 |
| 2020s | 437 | No. 2251 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.