Character Name
Dorothy
Dorothy Dorothy carries the warmth of early twentieth-century American naming — wholesome, grounded, and fundamentally optimistic. Characters named Dorothy are often figures of practical resourcefulness who discover extraordinary capabilities when circumstances demand them, in the tradition of Baum's immortal heroine.
Best genres for Dorothy
Famous characters named Dorothy
Dorothy Gale
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz — L. Frank Baum
The Kansas farm girl swept by a cyclone to the magical Land of Oz whose quest to return home became one of the most beloved journeys in American children's literature.
Variations & nicknames
Pairs well with
Writing a character named Dorothy?
Hearth's distraction-free editor helps you develop characters and write every day.
Related names
Edith
French · “Édith is a name used in French, an adoption of the Old English Eadgyth, composed of ead meaning "wealth, fortune, prosperity" and gyth meaning "war, battle" — thus "prosperous in war". The name was introduced to France through contact with England and became naturalized in French. In France the name is forever linked to Édith Piaf, the iconic Parisian singer, making Édith synonymous with authentic working-class French feeling and tragic grandeur.”
Ruth
Biblical Hebrew · “The etymology of the Hebrew "Rut" is uncertain, but proposed meanings include "friend", "companion", or "sight" (possibly from Hebrew "re'ut"). In the Hebrew Bible, Ruth is the Moabite woman who follows her mother-in-law Naomi back to Bethlehem with the declaration "Where you go I will go" — a story of extraordinary loyalty that became the foundation for Jewish conversion law.”
More English names
Holden
“Holden is an English surname and given name derived from Old English, likely from a place name meaning "deep valley" or "hollow valley," from hol (hollow) and denu (valley). As a given name it became internationally famous through J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, whose narrator Holden Caulfield made the name a byword for teenage alienation and authentic dissatisfaction.”
Lexus
“Lexus is a modern English given name, most likely a variant of Alexis, itself derived from the Greek alexein meaning "to defend" or "to help." As an independent given name it gained currency in late twentieth-century America, sometimes associated with the luxury automobile brand but used as a given name independent of any commercial association.”
Lawson
“Lawson is an English surname used as a masculine given name, a patronymic meaning "son of Lawrence," where Lawrence derives from the Latin Laurentius, referring to someone from Laurentum, a city whose name may come from laurus (laurel). As a given name it is found primarily in English-speaking countries, particularly in the American South and among those honoring family surnames.”
Johnson
“Johnson is an English and Scottish patronymic surname used as a given name, literally meaning "son of John," where John derives from the Hebrew Yohanan meaning "God is gracious." As a first name it is found in American and African-American naming traditions, where surname-as-first-name is a long-established practice.”
Mallory
“Mallory is an English surname used as a given name, derived from the Old French maleüré meaning "ill-fated" or "unfortunate," from malheur (misfortune). It was a Norman surname brought to England after the Conquest, most famously associated with Sir Thomas Malory, author of Le Morte d'Arthur. As a given name it is used particularly in American English.”
Warren
“Warren is an English masculine name derived from the Norman surname de Warenne, a reference to a place in Normandy along the river Varenne, whose name derives from the Old Celtic var/ver meaning "water" or "river." The name passed into English use after the Norman Conquest and became a common surname before being adopted as a given name.”
Explore more