My sister is having her second daughter and would like to name her [name]Dorothy[/name]. Her other daughter is [name]Louisa[/name] [name]Eve[/name], after our one grandmother, and now she wants her second daughter to be named [name]Dorothy[/name] after our other grandmother. Here are her questions for you guys:
She loves [name]Dorothy[/name], but thinks [name]Dorothea[/name] might be even better because it’s slightly fresher, more unusual, gets rid of the [name]Wizard[/name] of [name]Oz[/name] connotation, and has the nn [name]Thea[/name]. [name]Do[/name] you guys prefer [name]Dorothy[/name] or [name]Dorothea[/name], and if you prefer [name]Dorothea[/name], do you think her daughter will still be named after our grandmother, or no? That’s really important to her.
What do you think about [name]Dorothy[/name] / [name]Dorothea[/name] in general? Be brutally honest. Of course our family likes it, since it’s after a family member, so she wants some outside opinions who don’t care about hurting her feelings. [name]Do[/name] you think a little girl [name]Dorothy[/name] sounds strange, do you like the name, do you think it’s pretty, etc.?
And how about some unusual and distinctive [name]Dorothy[/name]/[name]Dorothea[/name] combinations, if you’re up to it!
I really like it. [name]Dorothy[/name] over [name]Dorothea[/name] because it is already such a characteristic and fun name and to try and ‘pretty it up’ just ruins these qualities [name]IMO[/name].
Personally i dont think it is one of the most pretty names but its attractivness is in its quirkyness and strength of character making it very unique.
My favorite combo is [name]Dorothy[/name] [name]Penrose[/name]
I like [name]Dorothy[/name] most in English, but [name]Dorothea[/name] most in my native tongue (Swedish), so yes, I like them both! [name]Dorothy[/name] nn [name]Dotty[/name] is very sweet:) Either one of them definitely honor a [name]Dorothy[/name] [name]IMO[/name]. I’d love to meet a little [name]Dorothy[/name]! [name]Dorothy[/name] [name]Rose[/name], maybe?
I love it! It is my great grandma’s name and I would love to use it some day…but I am always told its old fashioned. But I suppose lots of names that are old fashioned to begin with have to come back into vogue somehow! If its a family name then use it, and use the spelling of the relative. It just lovely I think (and the wizard of oz reference doesn’t bother me). Plus [name]Dot[/name] is such a cute nickname for a little girl.
I like [name]Dorothea[/name] better than [name]Dorothy[/name] for all of the reasons you mentioned. The only nickname I’ve heard for [name]Dorothy[/name] is [name]Dot[/name], and she could also use that with [name]Dorothea[/name], though I personally prefer [name]Thea[/name]. She’ll still be named after your grandma because [name]Dorothy[/name] is a form of [name]Dorothea[/name].
I think I have trouble seeing a girl named [name]Dorothy[/name] (other than [name]Judy[/name] [name]Garland[/name]). My husband has two Dorothys in his family tree, so we talked about that as a potential name for our daughter. Neither of us could get past the “old lady” feel, though, because all of the Dorothys we’ve known have been elderly. Although, we aren’t the most imaginative or adventurous namers. Plus, I lived in Kansas, so I have pretty strong [name]Wizard[/name] of [name]Oz[/name] connections with the name. That’s why I prefer [name]Dorothea[/name]. It just sounds prettier to me, and I don’t have the same sort of connections and connotations with it.
If she loves [name]Dorothy[/name], I think she should use [name]Dorothy[/name]!
What do you think about [name]Dorothy[/name] / [name]Dorothea[/name] in general?: The name [name]Dorothy[/name] is not really my style, but I like it better than [name]Dorothea[/name] and also like that it’s a classic name. I think the nn [name]Dotty[/name] for [name]Dorothy[/name] is totally adorable!!
Honestly, I think seeing the name [name]Dorothy[/name] on a little girl today would be really refreshing and nice. The idea of meeting a little [name]Dorothy[/name] makes me smile, actually–I think it’d be very, very cute on a little girl nowadays.
My vote definitely goes to [name]Dorothy[/name]!
I like both but I love the nn [name]Thea[/name] so I might have to go with [name]Dorothea[/name]. It’s still naming her after your grandmother as it’s just [name]Dorthy[/name] with an extra sound.
Either way though, she’s likely to get [name]Wizard[/name] of [name]Oz[/name] comments. Either way the name is classic and pretty, you can’t go wrong.
I have to say that I don’t really care for the name [name]Dorothy[/name], but the nn [name]Dot[/name] is kinda cute. I do slightly prefer [name]Dorothea[/name], but it’s still not really my style. I’m sure if I met a little [name]Dorothy[/name]/[name]Dorothea[/name] the name would probably grow on me, but when I first hear it, it just doesn’t sound pretty to my ears. But the nn options of [name]Dot[/name] or [name]Thea[/name] do make it more usable in my opinion. Plus it’s a family name for you, and that does make it more special for sure!
Most berries love it, but I really detest [name]Dorothy[/name] on a little girl. I think she would be sad around all the little [name]Emma[/name], [name]Ava[/name], and Isabellas. I just don’t find it fresh at all. [name]How[/name] about just name her [name]Thea[/name] in honor of [name]Dorothy[/name]?
I know a woman named [name]Dorothea[/name] so I like it. And [name]Louisa[/name] & [name]Dorothea[/name] sound better together than [name]Louisa[/name] & [name]Dorothy[/name]
And yes it would still honor Grandma if she used [name]Dorothea[/name]. I prefer when people update an ancestor’s name instead of being so literal. My grandma doesn’t like her name but she loves that I and my female cousins all have middle names that are fresher variations of her name
I like [name]Dorothy[/name] much more than [name]Dorothea[/name]…which I would pronounce Dar-oh-thee-uh. I think [name]Dorothy[/name] is sweet and old fashioned, but the extra syllable makes it more dramatic and over-the-top for me…but that’s just my taste. I prefer [name]Anya[/name] to [name]Anastasia[/name] as well and I know that most people disagree and like the longer princessy names.
I don’t love either, but Of the two, I prefer [name]Dorothea[/name]. I agree that it sounds slightly fresher and more unusual. - and I love the nickname [name]Thea[/name].
I definitely think [name]Dorothea[/name] is close enough to [name]Dorothy[/name] for the baby to be considered named after grandma.
I don’t mind the [name]Wizard[/name] of [name]Oz[/name] reference - it’s a pretty good reference, actually. But [name]Dorothy[/name] was once a very common name, so I think the movie reference is not that big of a deal.
I want to like [name]Dorothy[/name] - it does still sound “old lady” to my ears, but if I met a little [name]Dorothy[/name], I’d probably change my mind.
[name]Thea[/name]'s not a modern name, but it sounds modern to me.
I think you could still call her [name]Thea[/name] if her name was [name]Dorothy[/name], it just would not be as obvious.
I like [name]Dorothy[/name] better than [name]Dorothea[/name] and I actually think [name]Dorothy[/name] fits a little better with [name]Louisa[/name], in my opinion. They both have a sweet, wholesome, vintage feel to me. I’ve never met a little girl named [name]Dorothy[/name] but after reading this post I think I really want to, especially when I think of the nickname of “[name]Dot[/name]” on a little girl. That just sounds adorable to me.
That said, I think [name]Dorothea[/name] is pretty as well and would definitely still be honoring your grandma.
I know pp have said that [name]Dorothea[/name] sounds more “fresh” but I tend to disagree. It sounds much more old lady to me. I think that [name]Dorothy[/name] is beautiful on its own and you can still use [name]Thea[/name] as a nn.
A couple suggestions on mn:
[name]Dorothy[/name] [name]Claire[/name]
[name]Dorothy[/name] [name]Elise[/name]
[name]Dorothy[/name] [name]Faye[/name]
[name]Dorothy[/name] [name]Lydia[/name]
I prefer [name]Dorothy[/name] to [name]Dorothea[/name]…I like its simplicity. I know of a little girl with the name, nn’d [name]Dot[/name]. In my family, there’s a great-aunt [name]Dorothy[/name], nn’d [name]Dory[/name], which is also cute.
I like [name]Dorothy[/name] and prefer it to [name]Dorothea[/name], although [name]Thea[/name] is a really cute nn! I knew a girl in high school named [name]Dorothy[/name] and I don’t think she was picked on at all. I’m sure the [name]Wizard[/name] of [name]Oz[/name] association will come up once in a while, but there are cultural associations with almost every name, so I don’t think it’s a bad thing.
