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Dorothea

Girl name · 6 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Dorothea: 6 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 6 births in 2025.

Dorothea is a name of Greek origin, derived from *Dorotheos*—a combination of *doron* (gift) and *theos* (God)—meaning “gift of God.” Its masculine counterpart, Theodore, shares the same root. Among its most notable bearers is Dorothea Dix, the 19th-century American activist who revolutionised care for the mentally ill, while Saint Dorothea of Caesarea, a 4th-century martyr, has long been venerated in Christian tradition. The name also lives on through the fictional Dorothea Brooke, the idealistic heroine of George Eliot’s *Middlemarch*. Though places named directly after her are rare, the variant Dorothy—equally popular in Scotland—has lent its charm to