Thoughts on Dorothy?

[nosamanthas]

My sister is having her second daughter and would like to name her Dorothy. Her other daughter is Louisa Eve, after our one grandmother, and now she wants her second daughter to be named Dorothy after our other grandmother. Here are her questions for you guys:

1) She loves Dorothy, but thinks Dorothea might be even better because it's slightly fresher, more unusual, gets rid of the Wizard of Oz connotation, and has the nn Thea. Do you guys prefer Dorothy or Dorothea, and if you prefer Dorothea, do you think her daughter will still be named after our grandmother, or no? That's really important to her.

2) What do you think about Dorothy / Dorothea in general? Be brutally honest. Of course our family likes it, since it's after a family member, so she wants some outside opinions who don't care about hurting her feelings. Do you think a little girl Dorothy sounds strange, do you like the name, do you think it's pretty, etc.?

3) And how about some unusual and distinctive Dorothy/Dorothea combinations, if you're up to it!

Thank you!

[sol]

I really like it. Dorothy over Dorothea because it is already such a characteristic and fun name and to try and 'pretty it up' just ruins these qualities IMO.

Personally i dont think it is one of the most pretty names but its attractivness is in its quirkyness and strength of character making it very unique.

My favorite combo is Dorothy Penrose

[svea]

I like Dorothy most in English, but Dorothea most in my native tongue (Swedish), so yes, I like them both! Dorothy nn Dotty is very sweet Either one of them definitely honor a Dorothy IMO. I'd love to meet a little Dorothy! Dorothy Rose, maybe?

[lyricmom]

I really like it. Dorothy over Dorothea because it is already such a characteristic and fun name and to try and 'pretty it up' just ruins these qualities IMO.

Personally i dont think it is one of the most pretty names but its attractivness is in its quirkyness and strength of character making it very unique.

My favorite combo is Dorothy Penrose

I agree with this in terms of the spelling. I love Dorothy--it's a classic!

[maebear24]

I love it! It is my great grandma's name and I would love to use it some day...but I am always told its old fashioned. But I suppose lots of names that are old fashioned to begin with have to come back into vogue somehow! If its a family name then use it, and use the spelling of the relative. It just lovely I think (and the wizard of oz reference doesn't bother me). Plus Dot is such a cute nickname for a little girl.

[samjaymc]

I agree with this in terms of the spelling. I love Dorothy--it's a classic!

Totally agree! Dorothy is so lovely - and personally, I think you could still use Thea as a nn

[k8d]

I like Dorothea better than Dorothy for all of the reasons you mentioned. The only nickname I've heard for Dorothy is Dot, and she could also use that with Dorothea, though I personally prefer Thea. She'll still be named after your grandma because Dorothy is a form of Dorothea.

I think I have trouble seeing a girl named Dorothy (other than Judy Garland). My husband has two Dorothys in his family tree, so we talked about that as a potential name for our daughter. Neither of us could get past the "old lady" feel, though, because all of the Dorothys we've known have been elderly. Although, we aren't the most imaginative or adventurous namers. Plus, I lived in Kansas, so I have pretty strong Wizard of Oz connections with the name. That's why I prefer Dorothea. It just sounds prettier to me, and I don't have the same sort of connections and connotations with it.

[dancersventure]

1) If she loves Dorothy, I think she should use Dorothy!
2) What do you think about Dorothy / Dorothea in general?: The name Dorothy is not really my style, but I like it better than Dorothea and also like that it's a classic name. I think the nn Dotty for Dorothy is totally adorable!!
Honestly, I think seeing the name Dorothy on a little girl today would be really refreshing and nice. The idea of meeting a little Dorothy makes me smile, actually--I think it'd be very, very cute on a little girl nowadays.
My vote definitely goes to Dorothy!

Best,
Leslie

[dantea]

I like both but I love the nn Thea so I might have to go with Dorothea. It's still naming her after your grandmother as it's just Dorthy with an extra sound.

Either way though, she's likely to get Wizard of Oz comments. Either way the name is classic and pretty, you can't go wrong. ^_^

[caroline-cara]

I have to say that I don't really care for the name Dorothy, but the nn Dot is kinda cute. I do slightly prefer Dorothea, but it's still not really my style. I'm sure if I met a little Dorothy/Dorothea the name would probably grow on me, but when I first hear it, it just doesn't sound pretty to my ears. But the nn options of Dot or Thea do make it more usable in my opinion. Plus it's a family name for you, and that does make it more special for sure!