Namewise

Angela vs Dorothy

Angela 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.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 1957, Angela was ranked #62 and Dorothy #95 among girls in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 1955, Angela was ranked #100 and Dorothy #81 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Angela was ranked #1198 and Dorothy #193 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2023, Angela was ranked #391 and Dorothy #302 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Angela was ranked #608 and Dorothy #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

Angela and Dorothy over time

Angela and Dorothy appear together in 2 published lists, across 76 years of shared records. Angela held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Dorothy in 0.

The order between them changed and held in 2 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

    Angela and Dorothy changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #608 and #544.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Angela and Dorothy were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 47 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #608 and #544.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Angela #21 in 1965, Dorothy #95 in 1964.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls47 shared years, 19642025

    Angela held the stronger position in 44 of those years, Dorothy in 3.

    Highest recorded here: Angela #21 in 1965, Dorothy #95 in 1964.

    The order changed in 2025: Dorothy moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #372 and #631; by 2025 that had become #608 and #544.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Angela #608, Dorothy #544.

  • England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 19962024

    Angela held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Dorothy in 12.

    Highest recorded here: Angela #382 in 1996, Dorothy #175 in 2020.

    The order changed in 2013: Dorothy moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #565 and #709; by 2013 that had become #569 and #397.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Angela #1198, Dorothy #193.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Angela, Dorothy
FieldAngelaDorothy
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recorded
Syllables33
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #608 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #544 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10082/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Angela and Dorothy both have 3 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Angela

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1947

    First recorded at #362 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1954–1998

    Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New Zealand, in 1975 (recorded 1954–1998).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

Dorothy

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1954–1957

    Highest recorded position: #75 among girls in New Zealand, in 1956 (recorded 1954–1957).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls