Dory
A feminine name derived from the Greek "Doris", meaning gift.
Name Census estimates that about 934 living Americans carry the first name Dory. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 88.6% of registrations being female. The average person named Dory today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dory births was 1972 (46 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dory. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
934
~ 1 in 366,975 Americans
Peak year
1972
46 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
1986 SSA rank
#7,026
Tracked since 1919
Gender
Gender distribution for Dory
Dory leans heavily female at 88.6% of total registrations, but 124 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Dory as a male name
- Ranked #7,026 in 1986
- 5 male births in 1986
- Peak: 1972 (14 births)
Dory as a female name
- Ranked #9,700 in 2024
- 10 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1964 (34 births)
Popularity
Dory: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dory from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 292 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dory by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Dory during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dorys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, Pennsylvania, California recorded the most babies named Dory, while California, Pennsylvania, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dory
The name Dory has its origins in the Greek language and culture, deriving from the word "doron," which means "gift." This name's earliest recorded use can be traced back to ancient Greece, where it was a feminine name given to children as a symbol of appreciation and gratitude.
In Greek mythology, Dory was the name of one of the Oceanids, the three thousand daughters of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, who personified the multitude of streams, rivers, and bodies of water on Earth. This mythological connection suggests that the name Dory was associated with the natural world and the power of water.
The name Dory gained popularity in early Christian communities, as it was borne by several notable figures in the early Church. One such figure was Saint Dory, a 4th-century martyr who was executed for her Christian faith during the Diocletian persecution. Her unwavering devotion and sacrifice made her a revered figure, and her name became a symbol of courage and steadfastness.
Throughout history, the name Dory has been carried by several influential individuals. One notable example is Dory Funk Sr., born in 1919, a pioneering American professional wrestler and promoter who helped shape the sport in the mid-20th century. Another significant figure was Dory Previn, born in 1925, an American lyricist, singer-songwriter, and playwright, known for her poetic and introspective works.
In the realm of literature, Dory appears as the name of a character in Herman Melville's classic novel, "Moby Dick," published in 1851. Dory was one of the crew members aboard the ill-fated whaling ship, the Pequod, further solidifying the name's connection to the sea and maritime adventures.
Another notable bearer of the name was Dory Funk Jr., born in 1941, an American professional wrestler, and promoter, following in the footsteps of his father, Dory Funk Sr. He was a highly respected figure in the wrestling world, known for his technical prowess and contributions to the sport.
These examples illustrate the rich history and cultural significance of the name Dory, which has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from religious figures and martyrs to athletes, artists, and literary characters, all leaving their mark on the world in their unique ways.
People
Dory + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dory as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Dory: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dory?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 934 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dory going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 366,975 US residents.
Is Dory a common name?
We classify Dory as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,085 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dory most popular?
The single biggest year for Dory was 1972, when 46 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dory is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dory a female name?
Yes, 88.6% of people registered as Dory in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.