The name Dolly is typically a diminutive of Dorothy, with the L sound substituting for the R sound in the way that "Harold" becomes "Hal." The diminutive Dolly in turn gave us doll, in its various inanimate (e.g., a toy) and animate (e.g., an attractive woman) senses. Dolly eventually became a name in its own right, and Dolly Parton herself was never a Dorothy; she has always been Dolly Rebecca Parton. With regard to the sheep Dolly, a friend writes: "By the way, Nabokov used Dolly as a diminutive for Dolores, which was Lolita's real Christian name. 'Lolita,' to my way of thinking, is much more apropos than the wholesome Ms. Parton to the subject of troublesome forms of sexual congress."

Onomastics, the study of names, has been at once a serious endeavor and a popular pastime since antiquity. Interested readers might wish to consult an excellent new book on the subject, The Language of Names, by Justin Kaplan and Anne Bernays.

Another venue worth exploring is the Web site of the Society of the Kabalarians, which is dedicated to ... well, you can see for yourself. Whatever the wellsprings of its preoccupations, the society offers personality descriptions for virtually any first name you can think of. The society is currently offering a free analysis of a visitor's name and birthdate over the phone, with the option of purchasing a 30-page in-depth report.

For the record, the society's analysis of the name "Dolly" suggests that entities so named possess "an urge for independence" that causes "dissatisfaction and frustration in close relationships"; it also suggests that they find it "difficult ... to merge with others." However, "the qualities of this name would find a more constructive outlet in work that involves high pressure selling or promotional activities."