Dora
Masculine · “gift”
Dora is given to girls far more often — 105,930 girls against 550 boys since 1880. See Dora as a girl name
Dora is a Greek gift in two syllables, the short form of Dorothea and Theodora that became a name in its own right. It was one of the favorite American girls' names of an earlier age, and Dickens and Picasso both gave it a place in art.
How old is the name Dora?
Dora was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Dora alive today was born around 1928, making them about 97 years old. About 100 people named Dora are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Dora most popular?
Dora peaked in 1899, reaching #481 nationally. See the whole 1899 chart.
Where it comes from
From dōron to Dora
The story of Dora
In David Copperfield, Dora Spenlow is the pretty, helpless girl David marries, who asks him to think of her as his child-wife, and whose early death leaves him free to see the woman he should have loved. A century later the photographer Dora Maar became Picasso's companion, and her face, dissolved in grief, is the Weeping Woman he painted in the year of Guernica. The name is recorded for a very few boys, but it is a woman's name everywhere.
Meaning
gift
From Greek dōron, gift, as the short form of Dorothea, gift of God, and Theodora, God's gift.
How the name formed
- dōron
- Dorothea / Theodora
- Dora
Related forms: Dora · Dora · Dora · Dóra
Pronouncing Dora
DOR-uh
Two syllables, stressed on the first.
Nicknames for Dora
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most boys named
- 192617 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #481reached in 1899
- Change vs 1978
- −28.6%5 in 1984, from 7
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Dora in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Dora in Greek — same name
- Dora in Italian — same name
- Dora in Spanish — same name
- Dóra in Hungarian — same name
Doras among us
people named Dora are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Dora sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- Its meaning, gift, is clear and lovely.
- It is short, classic and easy to spell.
- It is rare among young children now, so it stands out.
- Many children know it first from the cartoon Dora the Explorer.
- A very few boys have been given it; for them it will read as a girl's name everywhere.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Dora to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Dora? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Dora
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Doras are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 100 people named Dora are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Dora in 2025?
- Dora is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Dora with classmates?
- Dora will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More D names
The most-given names starting with D, all years combined.
David#35 · Daniel#22 · Donald#690 · Dennis#707 · Douglas#807 · Dylan#41 · Danny#628 · Dale#1409
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Dora? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Dora and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle