Dorma

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Dorma

Pronounced DOR-muh /ˈdɔːrmə/Medium

Meaning: Dorma is best read either as a short, elaborated form of Dora and Dorothea, from the Greek for 'gift of God', or as a name drawn from the Latin 'dormire', 'to sleep', the root behind 'dormant'. The evidence is thin, so it is treated here with low confidence and an honest note.Low

In 30 seconds: Dorma is an uncommon early-century girl's name, likely a short form of Dorothea or from Latin for 'sleep', said DOR-muh.

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Origin LowGreek, Latin

MeaningDorma is best read either as a short, elaborated form of Dora and Dorothea, from the Greek for 'gift of God', or as a name drawn from the Latin 'dormire', 'to sleep', the root behind 'dormant'. The evidence is thin, so it is treated here with low confidence and an honest note.

U.S. rank (1966)#5992 ↗ Rising

1966 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1925

Total births (all-time)≈ 690

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

Dorma is a genuinely obscure name whose origin is not settled. It may be a clipped elaboration of Dora or Dorothea, sharing their Greek 'gift of God' sense, or a rarer borrowing of the Latin 'dormire', 'to sleep'. Both readings are plausible and neither is certain.

Whatever its source, it was never common, reaching only a couple dozen girls a year at its high in the mid-nineteen-twenties before disappearing by the nineteen-sixties. A woman named Dorma then would be of a great-grandmother's generation, and the name survives only as a curiosity of early-century records.

Did you know? Dorma echoes the Latin 'dormire', 'to sleep', though it more likely began as a trimmed cousin of Dora and Dorothea.

Overall data confidence 35%

References - Dorma — uncertain; likely Dora/Dorothea short form or Latin dormire

Variations

DormaDormieDorama

Nicknames

DoraDot

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Dorma…

Norma— a like two-beat vintage -ma name

Dora— a probable parent form

Thelma— a similar early-century -ma girl's name

Velma— another dated -ma rarity

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Dorma mean?

Its origin is uncertain; it is most likely a short form of Dora or Dorothea, possibly from the Latin for 'sleep'.

How do you pronounce Dorma?

It's said DOR-muh /ˈdɔːrmə/, two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Dorma a boy or girl name?

Dorma is used as a girl's name.

Is Dorma a popular name?

No, it has always been very rare, an obscure name used lightly in the early twentieth century before vanishing.