> > My boyfriend's great-grandmother was
named Dorkus.
> >
> > Her name has not been passed on.
>
> Sure it's not spelled Dorcas? I've seen that
name a few times in print.
>
> That still doesn't stop it from being an awful
name, though. :)

Dorcas is a Biblical name, actually. It's from
Acts 9:36-42.

"Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple
named Tabitha, which by interpretation is
called Dorcas: this woman was full of good
works and almsdeeds which she did."

I did a little name research and discovered
that "Tabitha" is Aramaic, "Dorcas" is the
same name translated into Greek. Both mean
"gazelle." Merriam-Webster defines gazelle as
"any of numerous small to medium graceful
and swift African and Asian antelopes."

So presumably someone named Dorcas is
"graceful and swift." Not bad qualities. That
doesn't change the way the name sounds to
modern folks, though. I think I'd rather go with
the Aramaic form of the name. It sounds a lot
more exotic and what-have-you.

Gri"occasional researcher of things"shny