Doreen
Doreen was the 5132nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 25 babies. Its best year was 1956, when it ranked 147th with 2,574 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 110 places. More babies were named Doreen in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning from Dora (Dorothy); "gift" · English, Irish, Greek
Say it dor-EEN /dɔˈrin/
- Rank in 2025
- #5,132 girls, up 3,406 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 25girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19562,574 babies
- Total since 1880
- 46,489babies recorded
What does the name Doreen mean?
Doreen is formed from Dora with the ending -een, which comes from the Irish diminutive -ín. Dora is a short form of Dorothy (and sometimes of Theodora or Isidora); Dorothy is Greek Dōrothea, from dōron, "gift", and theos, "god", so "gift of God". Doreen was a popular 20th-century name in English-speaking countries; in the US it peaked in the 1950s.
δῶρον (Ancient Greek, “gift”)θεός (Ancient Greek, “god”)-ín (Irish, “diminutive ending”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Dora, Dorothy, Dorene, Dorine.
See also: Greek names, names that mean God, names that mean gift.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Doreen', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Dora', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Dorothy', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Doreen (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Doreen popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 58 since 1949.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,132 | 25 |
| 2020 | #8,538 | 12 |
| 2010 | #6,995 | 18 |
| 2000 | #4,444 | 27 |
| 1990 | #1,930 | 72 |
| 1980 | #1,005 | 145 |
| 1970 | #353 | 706 |
| 1960 | #194 | 1,912 |
| 1950 | #284 | 756 |
| 1940 | #411 | 281 |
| 1930 | #413 | 254 |
| 1920 | #866 | 70 |
| 1910 | #1,988 | 7 |
| 1900 | #1,775 | 6 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Doreen, counting every spelling?
Doreen has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Doreen?
25 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Doreen (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Doreen born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 337 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Doreen.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Doreen?
About 34,600 people born in the US named Doreen are alive today, with a median age of 66; half are between 60 and 71. That makes Doreen a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Doreen by state
How common Doreen was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 48 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Doreen: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Doreen, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Doreen · Sibling names for Doreen
Questions about the name Doreen
What does Doreen mean?
Doreen means “from Dora (Dorothy); "gift"” (English, Irish, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Doreen?
Doreen was the 5132nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 25 babies. Its best year was 1956, when it ranked 147th with 2,574 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 110 places. More babies were named Doreen in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Doreen a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Doreen in the US.
Where is Doreen most popular?
In 2021–2025, Doreen was most common in New York (0.03 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and Texas.