| Dorothy | Addison | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | gift of God | Child of Adam |
| Origin | english | English |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | DOR-ə-thee | AD-uh-sun |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1980 |
| Peak year | 1924 (39,996) | 2007 (11,949) |
| In 2025 | 743 | 2,971 |
| Trend | Rising | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Dorothy | Addison |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 3,984 | 22,797 |
| 2010s | 3,958 | 71,021 |
| 2000s | 2,717 | 51,389 |
| 1990s | 4,211 | 3,468 |
| 1980s | 7,143 | 218 |
| 1970s | 11,664 | 0 |
| 1960s | 33,011 | 0 |
| 1950s | 74,475 | 0 |
| 1940s | 132,257 | 0 |
| 1930s | 210,415 | 0 |
| 1920s | 368,875 | 0 |
| 1910s | 207,475 | 0 |
| 1900s | 39,112 | 0 |
| 1890s | 10,846 | 0 |
| 1880s | 2,088 | 0 |
English form of Dorothea, from Greek doron 'gift' + theos 'God', meaning 'gift of God'. Same elements as Theodore reversed.
Addison is an English surname meaning “son of Adam.” Once a boy’s surname, it became a top girls’ name in the 2000s.
Addison is more popular than Dorothy today: about 2,971 US babies were given the name Addison in 2025, compared with 743 named Dorothy.
Dorothy means gift of God (english origin), while Addison means Child of Adam (English origin).
In US records, Dorothy first appears in 1880 and Addison in 1980, so Dorothy has the longer recorded history.