Dolly

Dolly developed as a familiar form of Dorothy or Dorothea, names made from Greek elements meaning gift and God. It has also been used independently, so the connection to Dorothy need not mean that a longer name appears on a birth certificate. Dolley is another established spelling, recognizable from Dolley Madison.

Singer Dolly Parton gives the name an enduring musical association, while Dolly Levi is the central character in the musical Hello, Dolly! Those references offer different cultural settings for the same affectionate form. Families comparing Dolly with Dottie are choosing between two traditional shortenings of the Dorothy family, rather than names with unrelated roots.