The name Dora is a girl's name of Greek origin meaning "gift". Dora and is often added to lists like Old Lady Names and discussed in our forums with posts like "Girls Makeover - Two Middles".
From the experts:
Dora is poised for a comeback, right behind Laura, Nora, Cora, and Flora. First-time parents who haven't watched cartoons in a couple of decades should be aware of the Dora the Explorer connection, which has its pluses and minuses.
Dora became popular during the Victorian era largely via Dora Spenlow, the "child-wife of Dickens's David Copperfield. Two noted real-life bearers were Dora Maar (born Henriette), a Picasso model and muse, and Dora Carrington, a British painter who was a member of the Bloomsbury Group. The name suffered a bit of a setback from being the title of the long-running comic strip, Dumb Dora..
While Dora can stand on its own, it can also be short for Dorothea, Dorothy, or Theodora. Dory is a cute diminutive.
Comments
paulapuddephatt Says:
Floris Says:
I'm sooo happy I'm from a country where Dora the Explorer isn't a thing :)!
Lola Says:
Give this name two more decades and it will be hot again. As soon as Dora the Explorer fades off into oblivion it will be a cute name once again!
(:
Dora Says:
My name is Dora. All through school I went by Dorie , as I thought it sounded younger .Now,as a 31 year old ,I go by my true name .I am proud of it,as it was my grandmas name . Its annoying that i still get associated with Dora that explorer.
Dora's Dad Says:
My daughter is named Dora, it was the most beautiful name we could think of and everyone just loved our choice. She was named less than a year before that horrible cartoon hit the airwaves. So, as you could imagine, people went from loving her name to asking why we named her after a cartoon. Even some adults would tease her about her name when she was a little girl. That always amazed us, that grown ups would taunt her and ask her .. Hey Dora, where Boots? We also had the flood of Dora The Explorer gifts would come her way every birthday party, and there were so many times that she would break down in tears and ask us why we would we give her such a horrible name.
Dora is now a beautiful young vibrant woman, and she totally OWNS her name. Everybody knows who Dora is, and they are not confusing her with the syndicated cable cartoon.
SimoneKadele Says:
Quite a shame that there's the Dora Explorer association, but I could get over it.
sixbillionsouls6 Says:
Lol
Saffron_Rice Says:
Cute name - think Dora Wordsworth rather than the cartoon explorer.
Theodora_Phoenix Says:
This is a pretty name in my opinion. I like names that aren't commonly used. Because of the cartoon, many people don't use it. Since I don't want to be associated with the cartoon, I'm using it as a nickname for Theodora.
CocoWhite Says:
A little kid might not mind bearing this name, but I'm sure an older child would be embarrassed over it. Go with Dory or Doris instead.
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I associate this with books I read as a child. It is certainly more usable than the other name from those stories - Dick!!! I like Dora, but possibly more so as a short form of names such as Theodora and Dorothea. If Cora seems too popular for some, Dora could be viewed as an alternative.