Amelia vs Dorothy
Amelia and Dorothycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Amelia was ranked #3 and Dorothy #199 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Amelia was ranked #9 and Dorothy #302 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Amelia was ranked #12 and Dorothy #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Amelia and Dorothy over time
Amelia and Dorothy appear together in 2 published lists, across 91 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Amelia and Dorothy changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #12 and #544.
- Longest-running competitions
Amelia and Dorothy were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 50 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #3 and #199.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls50 shared years, 1996–2025
Amelia held the stronger position in 50 of those years, Dorothy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2011, Dorothy #175 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #3, Dorothy #199.
Republic of Ireland · Girls41 shared years, 1964–2025
Amelia held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Dorothy in 20.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #3 in 2017, Dorothy #95 in 1964.
The order changed in 1998: Amelia moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #576 and #394; by 1998 that had become #252 and #498.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #12, Dorothy #544.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Amelia | Dorothy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'work' or 'industrious', with usage strongly influenced by the separate Roman name Aemilia. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Latin (influence) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /əˈmiːliə/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Amelie, Amalia, Amy, Mia | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | United Kingdom #1 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #199 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Amelia has a recorded origin (Latin (influence)); Dorothy does not have one recorded yet.
- Amelia and Dorothy both have 3 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Amelia; Dorothy doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Amelia a "high" Data Confidence level and Dorothy a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Amelia
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #300 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Dorothy
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #79 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1957
Highest recorded position: #75 among girls in New Zealand, in 1956 (recorded 1954–1957).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #199 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls