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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Dorothy, Dorothea, Theodora

35 replies

TabithaMeow · 01/11/2020 10:48

Hi all!

Just wondered how you feel about these names? Do you like them, and what is your order of preference, and why? What sort of image do they conjure up if you imagine a little girl with these names?

Thank you!

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DappledThings · 08/11/2020 16:36

I love Dorothea and really wanted it for DD but it was a DH veto instantly.

Middlemarch was my secondary literary reference for it after Dorothea Callum from the Swallows and Amazons books.

JemimaTiggywinkle · 06/11/2020 11:26

Theodora would be out for me because I don’t like female versions of male names. Would assume upper middle class.

Also not keen on Dorothy (wizard of oz) or Dorothea.

Thea or Dora are full names in their own right, and I like them both.

needanewidea · 06/11/2020 11:21

Dorothea NN Thea is my favourite. Lovely name.

notalwaysalondoner · 05/11/2020 15:38

I like Theodora best, followed by Dorothea. Don't like Dorothy at all, it screams old lady to me (and not in a cool way). Funny how the addition of 'thea' makes it so much prettier to me!

Tillygetsit · 04/11/2020 22:48

Love Dorothy. Prefer Dorrie as nn but Dotty is sweet.

AliceAforethought · 04/11/2020 12:50

Theodora, Dorothea then Dorothy.

Hate Dottie as a NN, but like Dot, Dora, Thea, Teddy.

FangsForTheMemory · 04/11/2020 01:25

Love Theodora. Don’t like Dorothea because it’s the name of the heroine in Middlemarch and she’s really annoying.

Pinkychilla · 04/11/2020 01:19

I like Theadora, Thea for short

ChanklyBore · 04/11/2020 00:42

I prefer Dorothy or Dorothea, probably the latter best. Although I enjoy the sound of Theodora, I don’t like female versions of “male” names. My phone just tried to autocorrect it to Theodore, for example.

I don’t mind unisex names, but Theodora is with Henrietta, Georgina, Josephine, Roberta, Brianna, Cecile, Stephanie, Phillippa, Erica, etc etc, that although there is nothing wrong with and some sound lovely, I wouldn’t name my daughter with a name that seems like an add-on or an additional extra to a man/male name. I prefer strong stand alone female names that don’t try and autocorrect to the male default like every single one of my examples did.

Enough4me · 04/11/2020 00:33

Dorrothea as I really like Thea as nn.

MercyBodle · 04/11/2020 00:29

I like them all, in this order:
Dorothea
Theodora
Dorothy

MikeUniformMike · 02/11/2020 20:40

Dorothea is pronounced Dorroth-ee-ah

Ladderofyears · 01/11/2020 21:35

I really like Thea so Dorothea would be my pick.

Escourtie · 01/11/2020 20:01

I only like Theodora out of the three

pantherrose · 01/11/2020 19:54

Love them all, Can’t decide whether I prefer Dorothea or Theodora and Dorothy a close third. Nice shortlist OP!

BigBigPumpkin · 01/11/2020 19:36

How do you pronounce Dorothea?

BunAndOven · 01/11/2020 17:45

Another vote for Theodora, such a cool name.

Not keen on the others, just the wrong side of 'old lady' name for me. Dottie is cute though.

Theodosia?

MikeUniformMike · 01/11/2020 17:39

I don't like Thea but it is better than Dorothea and Theodora.

VenusClapTrap · 01/11/2020 17:25

Not hugely keen on any of them, but I love Thea as a stand-alone name.

MikeUniformMike · 01/11/2020 17:14

I only like Dorothy, and I like it a lot.

Not at all keen on the other two.

RuthW · 01/11/2020 14:58

Love them all

BefuddledPerson · 01/11/2020 14:53

Love Dorothy Smile

ifiwasascent · 01/11/2020 14:44

Theadora is gorgeous and I love Thea as a Nn

Enterthedragons · 01/11/2020 11:34

Love Theodora, not keen on the others.

LoeliaPonsonby · 01/11/2020 11:20

DC2 would have been Dorothy but turned out to be a boy. Much prefer Dorothy.