Given name & surname · also Classical Greek
Doris
“dorian woman”
Doris is used as a given name, a surname, and a nickname. One interpretation is “dorian woman.” Its derivation is not certain.
Original GreekΔόρης
Meaning & origin
What it means
One interpretation is “dorian woman.” Its derivation is not certain.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Greek, although the derivation remains uncertain.
The story
In mythological stories, Doris is associated with a daughter of Oceanus.
Doris through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 465,789
- 3,241 boys · 462,548 girls
- Most popular year
- 1928
- 16,679 babies
- 2025
- 58
- #2,909 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −26%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 58 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,909 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 25.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 16,575 in 1928. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (10). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 174,013 as a first name in 2020; 1,680 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Doris’s family of names
In English usage, Doris has a diminutive in Dolly. Doris has a related form in Dorian. Doris has a related form in Dori.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Doris has relatives in 7 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
10 related names in 7 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 30
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Dorianvariant
- Dollydiminutive · English
- Doriavariant
- Dorivariant
- Dorydiminutive · English
- Dorinevariant · French
- Dorrisvariant · English
- Doreavariant
Show 22 moreShow fewer
- Doreliavariant
- Dorrianvariant
- Dorianavariant
- Doriannavariant
- Doriannevariant
- Dorysvariant
- Dorryvariant
- Dorrievariant
- Dorrivariant
- Doritavariant
- Dorisavariant
- Dorievariant
- Doricevariant
- Doreevariant
- Dorisslikely variant
- Durossvariant · English
- Doraliavariant
- Doralicevariant
- Doralievariant
- Doralisvariant
- Dorysevariant
- Dorrysvariant
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Doris
- Doris LessingBritish novelist, poet, playwright, librettist, biographer, and short story writer (1919–2013)
- Doris DayAmerican actress and singer (1922–2019)
- Doris Leuthardlawyer, politician and former member of the Swiss Federal Council (2006-2018)born 1963
- Doris RobertsAmerican actress (1925–2016)
- Doris HartAmerican tennis player (1925–2015)
- Doris DragovićCroatian singerborn 1961
- Doris Millerfirst African American recipient of the Navy Cross (1919–1943)
- Doris BuresAustrian politicianborn 1962
- Doris DörrieGerman film director, writer and film producer (born 1955)
Characters named Doris: Lunchlady Doris (The Simpsons character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Doris, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Avis is a variant of Ava. A secure original meaning for Ava has not been established.
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