| Dora | Phoebe | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | gift | Bright, radiant |
| Origin | greek | Greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | DOR-ə | FEE-bee |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1921 (2,026) | 2025 (1,885) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 1,885 |
| Trend | Vintage | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Dora | Phoebe |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 437 | 8,928 |
| 2010s | 919 | 10,645 |
| 2000s | 1,384 | 8,085 |
| 1990s | 1,734 | 3,288 |
| 1980s | 2,378 | 1,123 |
| 1970s | 3,941 | 1,134 |
| 1960s | 7,418 | 1,064 |
| 1950s | 9,285 | 1,092 |
| 1940s | 9,717 | 1,230 |
| 1930s | 12,387 | 1,404 |
| 1920s | 18,335 | 1,851 |
| 1910s | 14,012 | 1,601 |
| 1900s | 8,011 | 719 |
| 1890s | 8,684 | 848 |
| 1880s | 7,288 | 646 |
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 the Greek Phoibe, “bright” or “radiant,” a name of the moon in myth.
Phoebe is more popular than Dora today: about 1,885 US babies were given the name Phoebe in 2025, compared with 0 named Dora.
Dora means gift (greek origin), while Phoebe means Bright, radiant (Greek origin).
In US records, Dora first appears in 0 and Phoebe in 1880, so Dora has the longer recorded history.