Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Doris

Doris is a Greek name, from Δωρίς meaning “Dorian woman”. The Dorians were one of the most prominent ethnic tribes in ancient Greece. It was the Dorians (Spartans) who fought in the Peloponnesian War against the Ionians (Athenians) in the fifth century B.C. In reference to the Greek tribe, the name Dorian purportedly comes from Dorus, son of the mythological Hellene (the progenitor of the Greek people). The etymology of “Dorian” (Greek: Δωριεύς) is still debated. Some convincing sources suggest that dōris means “woodland”, connected to the Proto Indo-European root “deru-/doru“ meaning "tree” (indicating the wooded, mountainous region of northeastern Greece believed to be their place of origin). A second theory is from the Greek doru meaning “spear-shaft” or “people of the spear” (given the Dorian’s militaristic prowess). Lastly, dōron means “gift” in reference to a poem fragment found written by Tyrtaios in the 7th century B.C. In part, the poem translates to “Zeus the husband of fair-crowned Hera, hath given this city [Sparta] to the children of Heracles.” This supports the mythological belief that the migration of the Dorian tribe down to southwestern Greece was in essence considered “The Return of Hercules”. In this case, the Dorians would be considered the “people of the gift.” No matter which etymology is accurate, we think it’s fair to say that Dorian women were no wilting flowers! They had the spirits of Spartans and the hearts of warriors. Doris is also a name in Greek mythology (see literary references below).

All About the Baby Name – Doris

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME DORIS

The number 11 is a Master Number, and embodies heightened traits of the Two. This personality is on a life journey to find spiritual truth. They are extremely idealistic and intuitive. Elevens have a rare and exceptional spiritual energy that brings a sense of obligation to illuminate the world around them. It's a very powerful responsibility, but these people have far more potential than they know. It's important that they surrender to higher ideals. They have the capacity to see the bigger picture, and they possess the skills to inspire others spiritually. Elevens have strong diplomatic skills and can become great peacemakers. Master numbers can be both a blessing and a curse, as they walk the fine line between greatness and the potential for self-destruction.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME DORIS

Doris began to be used as an English female name starting in the 19th century. The name dates back to 1880 on the U.S. female naming charts, which is as far back as we have available data. The name achieved Top 100 status at the beginning of the 20th century (1902). In fact, for ten consecutive years (1924-1933), Doris was a Top 10 favorite in the country. Her highest point ever came in 1929 when Doris was the 6th most popular baby girl’s name in the United States (only Mary, Betty, Dorothy, Helen and Margaret had her beat that year). Doris would begin to see her fashionable days come to an end in 1955 when she fell off America’s Top 100 list. In 1993, the name fell off the Top 1000 and is now pretty much off the American radar. Indeed, a name of yonder days gone past, Doris hasn’t been able to stand up to the modern naming fashions of the 21st century (only 100 baby girls were called Doris in 2012). Still, this old ancient gal has an enduring Spartan spirit; we believe she will be rediscovered one day soon. Dorrie is a cute nickname.

Quick Facts

ON DORIS

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

N/A

PRONUNCIATION:

DOOR-is

SIMPLE MEANING:

Dorian woman

Characteristics

OF DORIS

Inspirational

Highly Intuitive

Spiritual Teacher

Extremely Bright

Uplifting

Truth-seeker

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Doris

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME DORIS

In ancient Greek mythology, Doris was an Oceanid, one of the three thousand daughters of the Titan gods Oceanus and Tethys. The Titan gods and goddesses predated the Olympic gods who ultimately defeated the Titans for divine superiority. Before the Olympians, however, there was Uranus (god of the heavens) and Gaia (goddess of the earth) who together bore Oceanus (god of the ocean) and Tethys (a sea goddess). A union between Oceanus and Tethys produced three thousand daughters (the Oceanids) who each presided over all the streams, rivers, waterfalls, lakes and all known bodies of water. Doris in particular personified the bountifulness of the sea. As the wife of Nereus (who dwelled in the all-important Aegean Sea), Doris became an important matriarch in her own right. She was the mother of fifty sea nymphs (the Nereids), one of whom (Thetis) was the mother of Achilles (the Greek hero of the Trojan War), making Doris the grandmother of Achilles. Another one of her sea-nymph daughters (Amphitrite) became the wife of Poseidon (the Olympic god of the sea), making Doris Poseidon’s mother-in-law and thus forming one of the many unions between the Titans and the Olympians.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME DORIS

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Doris


Popular Songs

ON DORIS

The Ballad of Doris and Edwin
a song by Christine Lavin

Famous People

NAMED DORIS

Doris Day (actress/animal rights activist)
Doris Lessing (British novelist)
Doris Roberts (actress)
Doris Kearns Goodwin (Pulitzer Prize winning author)
Doris Troy (R&B singer)
Doris Hart (tennis player)
Doris Duke (American heiress)
Doris Lloyd (English actress)

Children of Famous People

NAMED DORIS

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Doris

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME DORIS

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Doris