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Dorothy Family History

Dorothy Surname Meaning

English (Devon): from the female personal name Dorothy

Latin and Greek Dorothea composed of Greek dōron ‘gift’ and theos ‘God’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Dorothy family from?

You can see how Dorothy families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dorothy family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dorothy families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 36 Dorothy families living in London. This was about 24% of all the recorded Dorothy's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Dorothy families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dorothy surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Dorothy ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Dorothy. 43% of Dorothy men worked as a Labourer and 76% of Dorothy women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dorothy were General Labourer and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Dorothy | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Labourer
    43%
  • Master Tailor
    29%
  • General Labourer
    29%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    76%
  • Domestic Servant
    7%
  • Housewife
    5%
  • Domestic Duties
    4%

What Dorothy family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 15,000 census records available for the last name Dorothy. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dorothy census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dorothy

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Dorothy. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Dorothy immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Dorothy. For the veterans among your Dorothy ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dorothy military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dorothy family history

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What is the average Dorothy lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Dorothy life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1963, and highest in 1968. The average life expectancy for Dorothy in 1952 was 50, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dorothy

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dorothy ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Dorothy family tree

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