Dolores (given name)

Dolores is a feminine given name of Spanish origin.^[2]

History

The Spanish word dolores is the plural form of dolor, meaning either sorrow or pain, which derives from the Latin dolor, which has the same meaning and which may ultimately stem from Proto-Indo-European *delh-, "to chop".^[2]

The usage of Dolores as a given name has its origins in the strong influence of the Roman Catholic Church in Spanish-speaking countries. The name is a reference to Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (or La Virgen María de los Dolores), one of the many titles of Mary, Mother of Jesus, typically translated to Our Lady of Sorrows in English.

In given names, Dolores is frequently preceded by the name Maria (María Dolores), the Spanish form of Mary, or one may even bear the entirety of the title (María de los Dolores) as part of their given name. Notable examples of such include the Spanish noblewoman Juana María de los Dolores de León Smith and the Mexican actress Dolores del Río, who was born María de los Dolores Asúnsolo López-Negrete. Less commonly, one might use de los Dolores as part of their name, but not paired with María. Lola, Loli, Lolis, and Lolita are all popular nicknames for individuals named Dolores, based on the name's second syllable.

Variants

• Dolors (Catalan)
• Delora, Delores, Deloris, Dolores, Dollie (diminutive), Dolly (diminutive), Lola (diminutive), Lolicia (diminutive, rare), Lori (diminutive) (English)
• Dolorosa (Esperanto)
• Dolorès, Douleurs (French)
• Dores (Galician)
• Addolorata (Italian)
• Dolorosa (Latin)
• Dores (Portuguese)
• Nekane (Basque)
• Dolores, Lola (diminutive), Loli (diminutive), Lolis (diminutive), Lolita (diminutive) (Spanish)
• Долорес, Лолита, Лола (Dolores, Lolita, Lola), Долли (diminutive), Лора (diminutive, rare), Лëля (diminutive) (Russian)
• Lölä, Ljoolja, Ljolja, Lö (diminutive), Lo (diminutive) (Finnish)
• Lola, Lolka,Lolli (Czech)

Famous bearers

Deloris

• Norma Deloris Egstrom (1920–2002), American singer, better known as Peggy Lee
• Mablean Deloris Ephriam (born 1949), American prosecuting attorney and adjudicator for Divorce Court from 1999 until 2006

Delores

• Marva Delores Collins (1936–2015), American educator
• Delores Churchill (born 1929) Canadian Haida traditional weaver
• Delores M. Etter (born 1947), American electroengineer
• Delores Ann Richburg Greene (1936–2022), American educator, college dean
• Delores G. Kelley (born 1936), American politician
• Delores McQuinn (born 1954), American politician and minister
• Delores Taylor (1932–2018), American actress, film producer, and writer
• C. Delores Tucker (1927–2005), American civil rights activist
• Delores Ziegler (born 1951), American mezzo-soprano opera singer

Dolores

• Dolores Alexander (1931–2008), American activist
• Dolores Costello (1903-1979), American actress
• Dolores Crow (1931–2018), American legislator
• Dolores Ehlers (1896–1983), Mexican filmmaker and businessperson
• Dolores Fonzi (born 1978), Argentine actress
• Dolores Lewis Garcia (born 1938), Native American potter
• Dolores Guinness (1936-2012), German socialite
• Dolores Duran (née Adiléia Silva da Rocha; 1930–1959), Brazilian singer-songwriter
• Dolores Hart O.S.B. (born 1938), American actress and Roman Catholic nun
• Dolores Jiménez Hernández (born 1955), Mexican diplomat
• Dolores Huerta (born 1930), American labor activist
• Dolores Ibárruri (1895–1989), Spanish politician
• Dolores Keane (born 1953), Irish singer
• Dolores Lambaša (1981–2013), Croatian actress
• Dolores O'Riordan (1971–2018), Irish singer-songwriter and member of The Cranberries
• Dolores Pedrares (born 1973), Spanish hammer thrower
• Dolores del Río (née María de los Dolores Asúnsolo López-Negrete; 1904–1983), Mexican actress
• Juana María de los Dolores de León Smith (1798–1872), Spanish noblewoman and descendant of Juan Ponce de León
• Madame Dolores born Antonia Dolores Trebelli (1864–1951), soprano (also Mademoiselle Dolores)

Doloris

• Doloris Bridges, American politician

Dolours

• Dolours Price (1950-2013), member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army

Lola

• Lola Montez (née Marie Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert; 1821–1861), Irish mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria

Maria Dolores

Fictional characters

• Delores Landingham, fictional character from The West Wing
• Dolores Belmont, fictional character from Castlevania: Order of Shadows
• Deloris Van Cartier, character in the Sister Act franchise
• Dolores Umbridge, fictional character from the Harry Potter series
• Dolores Haze, fictional character from the novel Lolita
• Dolores Abernathy, fictional character from Westworld
• Delores Edmund, playable character from Thimbleweed Park
• Dolores Dei, fictional deity from Disco Elysium
• Dolores, fictional character from Who Framed Roger Rabbit
• Delores, fictional character from North and South
• Dolores, fictional character from the novel Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King
• Dolores, fictional mystery woman character from "The Junior Mint" episode of Seinfeld
• Dolores, fictional mannequin from The Umbrella Academy
• Dolores Madrigal, fictional character from Disney's Encanto
• Doleres Chanal, fictional character from Shutter Island

Other uses

• Deloris, Australian rock band
• Norma Deloris Egstrom from Jamestown, North Dakota, album by Peggy Lee

References

1. "Dolores". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
2. Harper, Douglas. "Dolores". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved March 27, 2019.