| Dora | Daphne | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | gift | Laurel |
| Origin | greek | greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | DOR-ə | DAF-nee |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1886 |
| Peak year | 1921 (2,026) | 2025 (1,740) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 1,740 |
| Trend | Vintage | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Dora | Daphne |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 437 | 7,562 |
| 2010s | 919 | 7,768 |
| 2000s | 1,384 | 5,126 |
| 1990s | 1,734 | 2,519 |
| 1980s | 2,378 | 2,699 |
| 1970s | 3,941 | 4,827 |
| 1960s | 7,418 | 6,933 |
| 1950s | 9,285 | 2,789 |
| 1940s | 9,717 | 1,321 |
| 1930s | 12,387 | 764 |
| 1920s | 18,335 | 1,057 |
| 1910s | 14,012 | 498 |
| 1900s | 8,011 | 162 |
| 1890s | 8,684 | 131 |
| 1880s | 7,288 | 26 |
Short form of Dorothea or Theodora, drawn from the Greek element doron 'gift'. The standalone name carries the 'gift' sense of its parent names.
From Greek 'daphne' (δάφνη) meaning 'laurel, bay tree'. In myth the nymph Daphne was transformed into a laurel to escape Apollo.
Daphne is more popular than Dora today: about 1,740 US babies were given the name Daphne in 2025, compared with 0 named Dora.
Dora means gift (greek origin), while Daphne means Laurel (greek origin).
In US records, Dora first appears in 0 and Daphne in 1886, so Dora has the longer recorded history.