Dolores (English)

Where does "Dolores" come from?

The name 'Dolores' originates as a Spanish given name derived from the plural noun 'dolores', which means 'sorrows'[1][2]. It functions as a shortened form of the religious title 'María (de los) Dolores', which translates to 'Mary of the Sorrows' and serves as a Roman Catholic epithet for the Virgin Mary[2]. The name 'María' itself possesses an ancient lineage, descending from Latin 'Marīa', which was borrowed from Ancient Greek 'Maríā', ultimately tracing back to the Hebrew 'miryām'[3]. Beyond its use as a personal name, 'Dolores' is also identified as the name of a town located within the Cabañas department of El Salvador[2].

Full etymology tree

• Dolores (English), 'A female given name from Spanish.'
  • borrowed Dolores (Spanish), 'a female given name from Old Spanish'
    • derived dolores (Spanish), 'plural of dolor'
      • inherited dolor (Latin), 'pain, ache, hurt'

Ancestors

• Dolores (Spanish)

Descendants and derived words

• Dolores County (English)

Sources

1. Dolores (English) - Wiktionary
2. Dolores (Spanish) - Wiktionary
3. María (Spanish) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris