Dorothy

Dorothy is the English form of the Greek name Dorothea, composed of the elements doron, meaning gift, and theos, meaning god, giving the overall sense of gift of God. The name is essentially a reversal of the same elements found in Theodora. It gained wide use in medieval England and reached peak popularity in the early twentieth century, partly through the beloved character Dorothy Gale in L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Related forms include Dorothea, Dora, Dolly, and Dot.