Is Dora short for anything?
Not always. Dora spent long stretches as a name in its own right, so a longer form is not guaranteed to be hiding behind it. Still, old records do use it for Dorothy. Less often it stands in for Theodora, Isadora, and Eudora, among others. Expect it in American and British records, mostly 1800s-1900s. Let the surrounding documents settle which one your ancestor carried.
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FAQs
Is Dora a nickname?+
Not reliably. Dora was often the name itself, though it can shorten Dorothy - check the records around it.
Is Dora a real name on its own?+
Yes. Dora has a solid history as an independent given name, alongside its use as a short form of Dorothy.
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