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Dorcas as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Dorcas

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The baby name Dorcas is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced DOR-kəs (IPA: /ˈdɔːrkəs/).

Dorcas is Greek in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: DOR-kəs (IPA: /ˈdɔːrkəs/)

What is the meaning of the name Dorcas ?

The baby name Dorcas is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced DOR-kəs (IPA: /ˈdɔːrkəs/).

Dorcas is Greek in Origin.

Dorcas derives from Greek Dorkás (Δορκάς), “gazelle” or “doe,” the term used in the New Testament as the Greek rendering of Tabitha (Acts 9:36–42). The name evokes grace and quickness, qualities traditionally associated with the animal. Forms include Dorkas (a direct transliteration) and the Latinized Dorcas; its meaning-equivalent and widely used counterpart is Tabitha. In many modern languages the spelling Dorcas is retained unchanged.

Usage traces to the earliest Christian communities, where Dorcas/Tabitha was remembered for charitable works and later venerated as a saint. In English, the name flourished after the Reformation, adopted by Puritans and Nonconformists and carried to colonial America, then waned through the 18th–20th centuries as tastes shifted. Today it remains rare in the UK and US but is well established across parts of sub-Saharan Africa - especially Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya - through enduring biblical and church traditions.

Dorcas has the following similar or variant Names

Dorcas – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2012 #1 — 970
BI 0 #12 1 425
BF Girls 0 #17 1 315
BW 0 #18 2 960
BI Girls 0 #32 2 726
GH Girls 0 #46 1,200 6,973
CM 0 #50 7 2,592
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
AO 0 #72 6 2,729
NG Girls 0 #79 4,045 15,093
BW Girls 0 #86 65 4,216
GH 0 #101 176 5,396
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
CY Girls 0 #125 1 3,755
PA 0 #137 2 3,797
AO Girls 0 #139 73 4,575
PR Girls 0 #150 12 3,171
MT Girls 0 #152 2 3,773
BW Boys 0 #153 2 4,685
CR 0 #165 1 5,526
NG 0 #184 82 5,926
AE 0 #187 1 10,220
LT Girls 0 #200 1 1,904
NA Girls 0 #213 12 7,146
CM Girls 0 #226 427 11,671
GR Girls 0 #247 3 6,293
AO Boys 0 #248 2 5,568
JP Girls 0 #250 2 6,592
SG 0 #257 13 11,010
MO Girls 0 #261 3 7,056
JM Girls 0 #275 4 7,507
Canada Girls 2024 #278 8 2,795
TW Girls 0 #289 1 8,139
QA Girls 0 #304 13 15,378
GT 0 #305 10 5,948
SA 0 #311 2 10,560
DK Girls 0 #325 5 7,429
GH Boys 0 #325 21 8,138
PE 0 #327 3 6,350
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
JO Girls 0 #333 7 7,570
HK 0 #349 9 8,483
MY 0 #349 6 12,352
CN Girls 0 #354 6 8,829
SD Girls 0 #357 2 7,678
BR 0 #360 1 5,969
OM Girls 0 #378 19 15,987
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
ZA Girls 0 #394 1,435 25,928
France Girls 2021 #402 4 3,185
BO 0 #405 4 6,868
ZA 0 #415 33 14,421
PH Girls 0 #423 7 13,098
GT Girls 0 #429 77 7,500
CL 0 #434 1 6,867
MX 0 #442 4 8,339
PT Girls 0 #471 1 7,952
KW Girls 0 #476 40 19,177
SG Girls 0 #490 97 18,916
GT Boys 0 #499 1 7,625
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
PA Girls 0 #510 9 9,861
CR Girls 0 #520 13 11,342
IQ Girls 0 #523 3 11,303
AE Girls 0 #532 22 20,968
CM Boys 0 #533 18 12,054
UY Girls 0 #535 2 6,731
HK Girls 0 #538 78 16,104
IR Girls 0 #544 2 8,334
PS Girls 0 #546 2 10,981
LY 0 #553 7 12,703
HK Boys 0 #556 2 12,905
BH 0 #584 4 17,937
BO Girls 0 #589 23 9,488
AR Girls 0 #624 7 8,289
IL Girls 0 #644 2 11,648
IN Girls 0 #651 4 13,121
LB 0 #683 8 13,263
Finland Girls 2026 #723 16 3,895
QA Boys 0 #743 1 18,093
PE Girls 0 #802 143 14,861
KW Boys 0 #805 2 18,755
TN 0 #817 13 13,765
Germany Girls 0 #828 11 4,949
CL Girls 0 #835 17 14,098
SA Girls 0 #840 96 25,931
United States Girls 2024 #897 20 8,487
NG Boys 0 #901 51 16,906
MY Girls 0 #903 92 24,821
NL Girls 0 #912 44 5,933
BR Girls 0 #913 29 12,708
OM Boys 0 #916 3 17,948
PE Boys 0 #923 4 14,506
EG Boys 0 #925 1 15,035
Spain Girls 0 #946 38 5,561
EG Girls 0 #947 13 14,742
CO Boys 0 #981 1 15,656
CO Girls 0 #1,059 20 16,140
MA 0 #1,114 15 20,986
MX Girls 0 #1,141 43 17,781
ZA Boys 0 #1,146 33 25,619
MY Boys 0 #1,181 2 25,439
DZ 0 #1,231 4 20,130
TR 0 #1,250 5 19,440
IT Girls 0 #1,339 108 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,690 2 28,008

Dorcas is popular in 67 countries — most recent births per country:

France
United States
Canada
Ireland
AE

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People also ask about Dorcas

Dorcas is predominantly a girl's name.
Dorcas is a 2 syllable name, pronounced DOR-kəs (IPA: /ˈdɔːrkəs/).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Dorcus, Dorkas and Dora (nickname).
Across languages, Dorcas has these equivalents: Tabitha (Aramaic), Tzvia / Zvia (Hebrew, 'gazelle').
Yes, very popular — Dorcas ranked #1 in Ireland in 2012, and appears in official birth registries across 5 countries.
Dorcas ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2012).
Dorcas's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #412 in 2011 to #402 in 2021 in France.