Doratha
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "gift of God".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Doratha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Doratha today is around 76 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Doratha births was 1910 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Doratha. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Doratha is about 76 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Dorathas were born before 1960.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Doratha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1910
11 babies that year
Average age
76
years old
1958 SSA rank
#6,341
Tracked since 1910
Popularity
Doratha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Doratha from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 40 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Doratha by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Doratha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Doratha
The name Doratha is derived from the Greek name Dorothea, which means "gift of God" or "God's gift." It is a combination of the Greek words "doron," meaning gift, and "theos," meaning God. The name dates back to ancient Greece and was popularized by early Christian saints and martyrs.
In the 3rd century, there was a virgin martyr named Dorothea who was executed in Caesarea for her Christian faith. Her story became popular in the Middle Ages, and she was recognized as a saint in the Catholic and Orthodox churches. This helped spread the name's popularity throughout Europe.
The name Doratha is a variation of Dorothea and was commonly used in medieval times. It appeared in various spellings, such as Dorothea, Dorothee, and Dorette, among others. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Doratha was in the 12th century, when a woman named Doratha of Montau lived in what is now Germany.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Doratha. One of the earliest was Doratha Prager (1451-1521), a German writer and nun who wrote poetry and religious texts. In the 16th century, Doratha von Sachsen-Lauenburg (1506-1570) was a German noblewoman and philanthropist known for her charitable work.
Moving forward, Doratha Dix (1802-1887) was an American social reformer and activist who played a significant role in advocating for the humane treatment of people with mental illnesses. She helped establish several mental health facilities and influenced legislation related to mental health care.
In the literary world, Doratha Brooke (1888-1963) was an English novelist and playwright known for her works exploring social issues and family dynamics. Another notable figure was Doratha Miel (1889-1968), an American educator and author who made significant contributions to the field of elementary education.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Doratha. While its popularity has waned in recent times, the name's rich history and meaning as a "gift of God" have endured for centuries.
People
Doratha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Doratha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Doratha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Doratha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Doratha going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Doratha a common name?
We classify Doratha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 93 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Doratha most popular?
The single biggest year for Doratha was 1910, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Doratha is about 76 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Doratha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Doratha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Doratha in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Doratha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Doratha in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Doratha can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Doratha?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Doratha at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.