Home › Baby Names Directory › Dora

Dora

♀ Girl

Pronounced DO-ra /ˈdɔːɹ.ə/High

Meaning: Gift of godHigh

In 30 seconds: Dora is an Italian name read as 'gift of God,' short, round, and warm.

💕 Browse more names

Origin HighItalian, Spanish, Portuguese

MeaningGift of god

U.S. rank (2025)#2388 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births75 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1921

Total births (all-time)≈ 105,924

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

In Italian use Dora carries the meaning 'gift of God,' the same 'doron' idea found at the end of names like Theodora and Dorothy. It has long worked both as a name in its own right and as a friendly shortening of those longer forms. The painter Dora Carrington (1893–1932), of the Bloomsbury circle, and actress Dora Bryan (1923–2014), who won a BAFTA for A Taste of Honey, both carried it in English public life.

The name has a soft, two-beat sound that has helped it cross languages, with relatives and pet-forms like Dee, Dodie, and the Balkan Todorka. It feels old-fashioned and affectionate at once.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Dora is 'gift of god', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.

Overall data confidence 86%

Behind the Name - Dora — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

IsiTeaTodorkaDeeDodie

Nicknames

—

Famous Bearers

★Dora Bryan (1923–2014)
English actress, BAFTA winner for A Taste of Honey.
★Dora Carrington (1893–1932)
English Bloomsbury-associated painter and decorative artist.

If you like Dora…

Theodora— The fuller name carrying the same 'gift of God' meaning that Dora often shortens.

Dorothy— Shares the Greek 'gift of God' sense and a long history of clipping down to Dora.

Sandra— shares the -ra ending

Cara— another Italian name

Mayra— shares the -ra ending

Explore names like Dora

By themespanish italian

By meaningGod / Divine Gift / Blessing

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Dora mean?

Dora is usually explained as meaning 'gift of god' and is most often linked with Italian tradition.

How do you pronounce Dora?

It's commonly said DO-ra /ˈdɔːɹ.ə/.

Is Dora a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Dora is used as a girl name.

How popular is Dora?

In 2024, Dora ranked #2602 in the U.S. for girls, with 67 births recorded.