Dorothy vs Lynne
Dorothy and Lynnecompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1956, Dorothy was ranked #86 and Lynne #59 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1957, Dorothy was ranked #95 and Lynne #81 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1997, Dorothy was ranked #394 and Lynne #440 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2013, Dorothy was ranked #397 and Lynne #5742 among girls in England and Wales.
Dorothy and Lynne over time
Dorothy and Lynne appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Lynne held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Dorothy in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Dorothy reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Lynne in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
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.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls29 shared years, 1964–1997
Dorothy held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Lynne in 16.
Highest recorded here: Dorothy #95 in 1964, Lynne #203 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1997: Dorothy #394, Lynne #440.
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 | Dorothy | Lynne |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #544 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5742 (2013) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dorothy has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Lynne.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
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 #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Lynne
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #49 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 recorded1952–1964
Highest recorded position: #49 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1964).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2013
Most recently recorded at #5742 among girls in England and Wales, in 2013.
England and Wales · Girls