Meaning & History
Dortha is a variant form of Dorothy, the usual English form of Dorothea. It was coined in the 19th century as an uncommon coined form, likely influenced by Dutch names for girls or a misspelling of Dorathea. Dortha appears in U.S. census records from the 1830s onward and peaked in usage the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is now little used.
The root name, Dorothea, comes from Greek Δωρόθεος (Dorotheos), meaning “gift of god,” from the elements δῶρον (doron) “gift” and θεός (theos) “god.” The name Theodore is composed of the same elements in reverse order. Dorothea was the name of two early saints: the 4th-century martyr Dorothea of Caesarea and the 14th-century Saint Dorothea of Montau, patron saint of Prussia.
Notable Bearers
The most well-known bearer of the related form Dorothy is the fictional Dorothy Gale, the protagonist of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). While Dorothy is common, Dortha remains distinctive; notable American bearers include Dortha Dater (early photographer) and Dortha Mae Pease (artist).
Distribution
Dortha is primarily an English feminine given name, found almost exclusively in the United States and occasionally in Canada. It never achieved wide popularity, with its highest recorded rank in the U.S. being #1059 in 1922.
Related Names
Variants of Dortha include Dorothea, Dorothy, and Dorthy. Diminutives and pet forms include Dee, Dodie, Dollie, Dolly, Dora, and Doreen. For other language and culture equivalents, see: German Dorothea, Bulgarian Doroteya, Spanish Dora, Swedish Dorotea, Slovene Doroteja and Tea.