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