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Dolly Parton was ‘Flattered’ Dolly the Sheep was Named After Her Breasts

Photo Credit: 1. Omar Vega / FilmMagic / Getty Images 2. Ben Curtis / PA Images / Getty Images
Photo Credit: 1. Omar Vega / FilmMagic / Getty Images 2. Ben Curtis / PA Images / Getty Images

In 1996, an incredible breakthrough was made in the world of science. For the first time ever, scientists were able to clone a sheep from an adult somatic cell. After she was born, they had to decide on a name, and the story of how they landed on “Dolly” reached the ears of the very women who inspired it: Dolly Parton.

Dolly the sheep was a major success in the field of science

Dolly the sheep standing in a pile of hay
Dolly the sheep, 2000. (Photo Credit: PA Images / Getty Images)

Dolly the sheep was the first animal to be cloned from an adult cell, making her the most famous sheep in scientific history. She was born on July 5, 1996, at the Roslin Institute in Scotland and named after the singer Dolly Parton. Her creation showed that scientists could make a copy of an animal by using cells from another, marking a major breakthrough that proved cloning from adult cells was possible.

Remarkably, Dolly had a total of six lambs throughout her lifetime, a special feat, as it showed she was capable of having offspring like other sheep. Sadly, she died on February 14, 2003, at only six years old. Suffering from lung disease, she was ultimately put to sleep.

Dolly Parton’s thoughts on the sheep being named for her breasts

Portrait of Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton, 1978. (Photo Credit: Harry Langdon / Getty Images)

Country music legend Dolly Parton told The Guardian her thoughts on the cloned sheep being named for her. More specifically, she was asked how she felt about the animal being named after her breasts.

“I was flattered,” Parton said. “You know, when the scientists cloned Dolly the sheep, they used the mammary glands. That’s what they call them … glands … the boobs.”

It makes sense that the name was coined after Parton’s breasts, as they are iconically large. Early on in her life, she got implants, growing her breast size to 40DD. They’ve long served as part of her iconic look, and she explained how scientists decided on the name.

“They said: ‘Oh, we have this sheep, Dolly …’ Everybody always played up to these [points to her chest], so that’s why we had Dolly the sheep.”

Dolly Parton doesn’t want to be cloned

Woman looking at the taxidermy body of Dolly the sheep
Dolly the sheep on display at the National Museum of Scotland, 2016. (Photo Credit: Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images)

Dolly Parton said she “was sorry when she died,” referring to the sheep’s death. Naturally born sheep have a life expectancy of 10- 12 years, but, given her health problems, Dolly only reached approximately half that. Due to her importance to science, Dolly was taxidermied, and she now stands on display at the National Museum of Scotland.

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Parton gave her opinion on cloning, saying, “I don’t want be cloned myself,” and adding, “I want to get on out of here when I can. We already get a lot of Dolly lookalikes, a lot of Dolly drag queens. I can just send them down to the store instead of me.”

Samantha Franco

Samantha Franco is a Freelance Content Writer who received her Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Guelph, and her Master of Arts degree in history from the University of Western Ontario. Her research focused on Victorian, medical, and epidemiological history with a focus on childhood diseases. Stepping away from her academic career, Samantha previously worked as a Heritage Researcher and now writes content for multiple sites covering an array of historical topics.

In her spare time, Samantha enjoys reading, knitting, and hanging out with her dog, Chowder!

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