Given name
Dottie
“a gift of God”
In English use, Dottie is a diminutive of Dorothy. One Greek interpretation is “a gift of God.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Dottie 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, Dottie is a diminutive of Dorothy. An origin associated with Dorothy is Greek.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Dottie is used as an affectionate form of Dot.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Dottie through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 9,998
- 0 boys · 9,998 girls
- Most popular year
- 1943
- 278 babies
- 2025
- 158
- #1,385 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +149%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 158 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,385 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 149.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 278 in 1943. In 2025, Texas and Utah shared the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (14 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 5,675 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.
Dottie’s family of names
In English usage, Dottie is a diminutive of Dorothy. Dottie is an affectionate form of Dorothy. Dottie has a related form in Dorothy.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Dottie
- Dottie WestAmerican country music singer and songwriter (1932–1991)
- Dottie DodgionAmerican musician1929–2021
- Dottie ThomasAmerican hematologist1922–2015
- Dottie PepperAmerican professional golferborn 1965
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Dottie, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Dixie
“woman from the South; the tenth-born child”
>99% girls
Janie
“God is gracious”
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Bonnie
“a pretty and charming girl”
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Dianne
Dianne is a feminine given name from Latin.
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Prudence
“one who is cautious and exercises good judgment”
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Bobbie
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Jonnie
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12% boys · 88% girls
Joyce
“lord” · “one who brings joy to others”
2% boys · 98% girls