Dolly began as an English pet form of Dorothy and shares its meaning, "gift of God", from the Greek doron and theos. Country singer Dolly Parton has made it one of the friendliest names in American culture. Long a nickname rather than a birth-certificate name, Dolly has climbed from number 4625 in 2015 to number 1617 in 2023 and ranks 1781 among girls' names in 2025.