Nicknames for Dorothy

Joseph Arceneaux via Dribbble

Happy Monday everyone! As many of you know, we're coming up at our 5th anniversary of the blog, and needless to say, some posts need updating. So, I will be periodically re-vamping some old posts. First up is Nicknames for Dorothy! This is one of my most popular posts, and it's only getting more views as the name Dorothy rises in the charts. Let me know--what nickname would you use for Dorothy?

Dodie- Charmingly vintage Dodie is an English nickname for Dorothy. She's the type of nickname you can picture on a young girl or an old lady, but not much in between.

Doe- A nickname like Doe will inspire many musical outbursts, and perhaps some "Jane Doe" comments.

Dolly- Another nickname for Dorothy with musical theater connections (yep, Hello Dolly!) The English word doll actually comes from this popular 17th century onward name, not the other way around. She's been long out of favor since--is there any chance for Dolly to come back?

Dora- Oh, Dora. She'd be so trendy right now if it wasn't for that cartoon series. If you like her sound but not her associations, I suggest you take a look at our next name...

Dorie- Dora's sweet cousin. I suggest spelling her Dorie to ward off any fishiness (though you won't be able to evade all of it). Another possible spelling is Dori, but that seems straight out of the '60s.

Dortha- Clunky-cool Dortha was most popular in 1925, and fell off the charts in the 1940s. If you follow the 100 year rule, that means if you use her today you'll be 10 years ahead of the curve.

Dot- Long time readers know I have an affinity for Dot (though I did just take her off my If I Could Name 100 Girls post--sorry Dot!). She's got that retro sass and a bit of a British feel. I think she'd be perfect for a 2016 baby.

Dottie- Of course, you could also call your daughter Dorothy by Dot's similar elaboration--Dottie. Toddler girls would love to be named Dottie--it's the first name of favorite TV character Doc McStuffins.

Tea- Tea is a very Scandinavian nickname for Dorothy. She's traditionally pronounced with two syllables (TAY-uh)--an accent over the E can help clarify. You could pronounce Tea like the beverage if you want, it's certainly not unheard of.

Thea- Thea is another Scandi favorite. She has many pronunciations--THEE-uh, TEE-uh, TAY-uh, and THAY-uh. Take your pick! Thea is used as a nickname for Dorothy, but originated as a nickname for the similar Dorothea.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published on June 18, 2013, and updated on April 11, 2016.

British Nicknames Ready for Import

Cheryl M Photography via 100 Layer Cakelet

It's no secret that I fall into the "name them what you call them" camp. If you're never going to use your child's full name, then just skip it! The Brits are true followers of this philosophy--much of their top 500 consists of nickname names. I compiled the ones I think Americans should also embrace as full names right here. After all, if you only plan on calling her Pixie, you're better off discarding Patricia.

Girls
Beau
Betty
Billie
Bonnie
Cleo
Connie
Dolly
Edie
Effie
Elsie
Emmie
Evie
Georgie
Gracie
Hallie
Hattie
Holly
Indie
Josie
Kitty
Maisie
Marnie
Millie
Minnie
Lacie
Lexi
Libby
Lottie
Penny
Pippa
Pixie
Polly
Poppy
Rosie
Sylvie
Tilly

Boys
Albie
Alfie
Ali
Archie
Beau
Bertie
Billy
Bobby
Buddy
Danny
Eddie
Frankie
Freddie
Georgie
Harry
Hugh
Jamie
Jan
Jay
Joe
Joey
Johnny
Junior
Kit
Lee
Lenny
Louie
Monty
Nico
Ollie
Rafe
Reggie
Remy
Rex
Rio
Ronnie
Rory
Rudy
Shay
Sonny
Ted
Teddy
Toby
Tommy
Vinnie
Woody
Zac

First Lady Names

Laura Worthington via You Work for Them

Today is President's Day in the U.S., so to honor the holiday, I thought we'd take a look at some noteworthy names of First Ladies. I picked ten I wanted to talk about, but there are obviously so many more I didn't cover. What is your favorite first lady inspired name?

Bird: Lady Bird Johnson 
Lady Bird Johnson, born Claudia Alta, was the wife of President Lyndon B. Johnson. She has perhaps the most unusual monikers out of all the First Ladies, a combination of her childhood nickname (Lady) and affectionate pet name (Bird). Bird makes quite a charming nature name, perfect for the middle position. Alternatively, make it the first name and use the nickname Birdie. 

Bess: Bess Truman
Bess Truman, wife of Harry S. Truman, was born Elizabeth Virginia. She was supposedly called Bessie during her childhood, as a nickname for Elizabeth. I can definitely see Bess coming back in style, especially when used as a short form for Elizabeth. Bessie, however, still reads "cow."

Dolley: Dolley Madison
James Madison's wife Dolley Madison has quite a mysterious name. Some have suggested that she was born Dorothea, others claim Dorothy, and some, just Dolley. The spelling of her name has also been the object of confusion, as documents vary between Dolley, Dolly, and even Dollie. Nowadays Dolley might hold too much baggage with the Dolly Parton association, but nevertheless, she's a sweet retro nickname.

Florence: Florence Harding
Florence Harding, wife of Warren G. Harding, was born Florence Mabel (what a combo!). She has a spectacular name that hasn't quite come into favor yet, despite similar -or- names like Cora and Nora rising in popularity.

Ida: Ida McKinley
Ida McKinley (no middle name) was the wife of President William McKinley. Her name, like many German names is very strong. With short, ends-in-a names being so in vogue, I'd like to see Ida back in the top 1000. 

Letitia: Letitia Tyler
Letitia Tyler was married to President John Tyler, who was first the Vice-President, and then the President of the United States. She vanished from the top 1000 in 1982, although she never broke the top 500. In this day and age, the similar Lettice or Lettie might be more favorable. 

Lou: Lou Hoover
Herbert Hoover's wife Lou was born simply Lou. Nowadays people assume a girl called Lou has a fuller name (Louisa, Lucy, maybe), but back in the late 1800s, this wasn't the case. I love the idea of using just Lou as a first name, but I know many of you won't agree with me. 

Lucretia: Lucretia Garfield
Lucretia Garfield, First Lady to James Garfield's President, was called Crete by those who were close to her. She dropped from the top 1000 in the late '70s, but like Letitia, never made it into the top 500. She might seem a little futsy to modern parents, but I think she's a fun way to get to Lu, Lulu, and the like.

Mamie: Mamie Eisenhower
Mamie Eisenhower was the wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. She was named Mamie Geneva, after the song Lovely Lake Geneva. Normally Mamie is considered a nickname for Margaret or Mary, but it's not extremely uncommon to see her as a given name. Mamie fits in with all the retro revivals of today, but is not likely to crack the top 1000 anytime soon, so go ahead and use her. Fun fact: Mamie Eisenhower had a sister named Mabel Frances who was called Mike.

Martha: Martha Washington
Martha Washington was the very first of the First Ladies to ever serve the United States. She did not have a middle name--Martha was born in 1731, where it was common practice to not give daughters middle names, since their maiden name would move to that position once they got married. Martha has been on a steady decline ever since the mid-century, but never made it out of the top 1000. I'm hopeful such a timeless name will begin to pick up steam soon.

Olly Names

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You don't hear a lot of -olly names around anymore. Molly was popular a while back, but other than that, they have fallen off the radar. Many of them would sound right at home with today's baby names, so why not consider an -olly name?

Expected:
Holly- She sounds slightly momish, but would make a sweet nickname for any of the Holl- names.
Molly- She's currently more popular for dogs than babies, but still holds her charm.

Unique:
Dolly- She still has that Dolly Parton feel, but she is beginning to feel more useable.
Olly- Usually spelled Ollie, I often hear this one as a nickname for Oliver. But why not Olive or Olivia?
Polly- She started out as a nickname for Mary, but she would not be used that way today. Use her to honor a Paul.

Unheard of:
Lolly- Lolly (or Lollie) is cute and spunky. I would only use her as a nickname though.
Nolly- Another Oliver/Olive/Olivia nickname that would be adorable on a baby.

Nicknames for Dorothy

 Editor's Note: This post was significantly updated on April 11, 2016. To view the updated post, click here.

Dorothy is becoming more and more popular as a name. Here are some nickname options for her.

Dodie
Doe
Dolly
Dora
Dortha
Dot
Dottie
Tea
Thea
Tottie