Girls Names A Through E

Donna

Italian

"lady"

Literally meaning "lady" in Italian, Donna was the perfect ladylike housewife mom name on The Donna Reed Show in the fifties and sixties. And there were plenty of namesakes: Donna was in the Top 10…

Donnelly

Irish

"dark brave one"

Makes Donna into a cool twenty-first-century unisex Irish surname.

Doon

Spelling variation of word name Dune or Scottish surname

"brown or dark"

Photographer Diane Arbus named her daughter Doon, inspired by the sand dunes she walked among when pregnant. Used this way, Doon might be considered a nature name, a refashioning of the word dune.…

Dora

Diminutive of Theodora and Isidora, Greek

"gift"

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,…

Dorcas

Greek

"doe, gazelle"

Classic name used by the Romans, the Puritans, and the Bard, but pretty much taboo today due to the objectionable connotations of both its front and back ends.

Doreen

Variation of Dora; also Anglicized variation of Irish Doireann

"sullen"

Much fresher Irish imports available for colleens now.

Doretta

English variation of Dora, Greek

"gift"

Frilly, feminissima, unstylish Dor name.

Dorin

Dorin is a feminine name of Romanian origin, derived from the masculine name Dorian. It carries the meaning 'gift' or 'child of the sea.' In Romanian culture, the name has been used for girls, though…

Dorinda

Greek

"bountiful gift"

Cinderella stepsister type Victorian-valentine name.

Doris

Greek

"gift of the ocean"

Doris had long been on our so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out-for-babies list, and seemed to be written there in indelible ink. But there are signs of a sea change, that Doris could profit from the…

Dorit

Hebrew

"of this generation"

Popular in Israel, sounds a lot more current than Doris.Brings to mind Dickens' Little Dorrit , though Dorrit was the surname of its heroine Amy.

Dorith

Dorith is a feminine name with Hebrew roots, functioning as a variation of Dorothy or Dorit. The name carries the beautiful meaning of 'gift' or 'generation,' connecting to the Greek elements 'doron'…

Dorli

Dorli is a feminine name with Germanic and Austrian origins, most commonly found as a diminutive form of Dorothy or Dorothea, which derive from the Greek 'doron' (gift) and 'theos' (god), meaning…

Doroteja

Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, and Macedonian variation of Dorothea, Greek

"gift of God"

The common translation of Dorothea in Central Europe.

Dorothea

Greek

"gift of God"

Dorothea is a romantic Victorian-sounding name that blends elegance, gravitas and a hint of clunkiness too. Popular in the early decades of the twentieth century, it has been off the charts since…

Dorothie

Dorothie is a feminine name representing a vintage spelling variant of Dorothy, which comes from the Greek name Dorothea meaning "gift of God." This particular spelling adds an antiquated charm,…

Dorrin

Manx

"sullen; tempest"

This name stems from an Irish word meaning sullen, but in the Isle of Man is used to refer to sullen weather, rather than sullen people (hence the tempest meaning). It's a cute and spunky name that…

Dot

English, diminutive of Dorothy

Old-fangled nickname could make dot.com era short form or middle name.

Dotterel

English

"Eurasian plover"

Dottie

English, diminutive of Dorothy

"gift of God"

Dottie and Dot are old Dorothy nicknames that some cutting-edge Brits are bringing back to fashion. It's been half a century since Dottie ranked on its own in this country, one of those nickname…