Given name & surname
Dot
“a gift of God”
In English use, Dot is a diminutive of Dorothy. One Greek interpretation is “a gift of God.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Dot is a diminutive of Dorothy. One Greek interpretation is “a gift of God.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Dot is a diminutive of Dorothy. An origin associated with Dorothy is Greek.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Dot is used as a shortened form of Dorothy.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1883. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Dot through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,392
- 22 boys · 1,370 girls
- Most popular year
- 1935
- 46 babies
- 2025
- 11
- #9,017 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +100%
- Rising fast
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 11 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 9,017 among girls’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for girls was 46 in 1935. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,224 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Dot’s family of names
In English usage, Dot is a diminutive of Dorothy. In English usage, Dot has a conventional equivalent in the Dutch form Doortje. Dot is a short form of Dorothy.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Dot has relatives in 3 languages.
3 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Dot
- Dot-Marie Jonesathlete, actorborn 1964
- Dot FarleyAmerican actress and scenario writer (1881-1971)
- Dot Richardsonsoftball playerborn 1961
- Dot AllisonScottish singer, songwriter, DJ, writer and poetborn 1969
- Dot CleminshawSouth African activist1922–2011
- Dot SerfonteinSouth African writer (1925-2016)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Dot, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Dotty
“a gift of God”
>99% girls
Dorthy
“a gift of God”
>99% girls
Delores
“woman of sorrow; refers to the Virgin Mary”
>99% girls
Dolores
“woman of sorrow; refers to the Virgin Mary”
>99% girls
Doris
“dorian woman”
>99% girls
Otilia
“wealth, riches”
>99% girls
Claudette
“one who is lame”
>99% girls
Joye
“a delight; one who brings pleasure to others”
>99% girls