Dolly - ugh!

[GameofPhones]

I've just come across the name Puppe in German (meaning 'doll'), the equivalent of our Dolly. Only now does Dolly strike me as unacceptably diminishing (Dolly Parton notwithstanding). It's an example of how diminishments can drop out of awareness. Only the German form prompted me to a clear-eyed view.

I thought it was another shortened version of Dorothy - it was a popular name in Edwardian/late Victorian era wasn’t it?

It was just a contraction/nn for longer names like Dorothy (my aunt was always called Dot!). I don't think the doll/puppet thing holds water.

It must be very draining to go through life looking for ways to be offended.

Also a contraction for Dolores.

Of all the things to get worried about m this is pretty low on the list.

If lots of diminutives were similar, there would be a point. I can’t think of any more, though.
Sally
Molly
Alix
Lexie
Lottie
Babs
Barbie (predating the doll)
Cindy (ditto)

These two things are not the same.

But Dolly is a very old, fairly standard shortening of Dorothy. It has no more significance than calling someone Kitty as a nickname for Katherine. They're not implying that "Kitty" is no better than a cat or "Dolly" is a diminishment and I've never, ever heard anyone remotely suggest this or even think it.

Counting down to 'What do we think about Pupella, nn Puppe?' on the Baby Names board, in 5,4,3...

I suppose the issue with the name 'Dolly', stems from the 1950s or maybe 60s term Dolly-bird or possibly and more tenuous (if we're talking feminism) to get dolled up.
But as others have said originally it was the shortened version of Dolores.

Thinking back to when I was addressed as 'Doll' by a certain type of man when I lived in Scotland (not, thankfully, by colleagues).

Now when I lived in Yorkshire, I was walking with a (male) colleague when we were let through a barrier and the man letting us through said "There you are, love". My colleague (male, remember) instantly bristled and said "I'm not your love".