Darius m English, Lithuanian, Romanian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Old Persian (Latinized)Latin form of Greek
Δαρεῖος (Dareios), from the Old Persian name
𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎢𐏁 (Darayauš), shortened from
𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 (Darayavauš). It means
"possessing goodness", composed of
𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹 (daraya) meaning "to possess, to hold" and
𐎺𐎢 (vau) meaning "good". Three ancient kings of Persia bore this name, including Darius the Great who expanded the Achaemenid Empire to its greatest extent. His forces invaded Greece but were defeated in the Battle of Marathon.
... [more] Darwin m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from the Old English given name
Deorwine. The surname was borne by the British naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882), the man who first proposed the theory of natural selection and subsequently revolutionized biology.
Dash m English (Modern)Probably inspired by the English word
dash meaning "run, sprint". In some cases it can be a short form of
Dashiell, as in the animated movie
The Incredibles (2004) where it belongs to a speedy young superhero.
Dawn f EnglishFrom the English word
dawn, ultimately derived from Old English
dagung.
Dax m EnglishFrom an English surname, which was derived either from the town of Dax in France or from the Old English given name
Dæcca (of unknown meaning). The name was brought to public attention by the main character in the 1966 novel
The Adventurers and its 1970 movie adaptation. It became popular in the 2010s due to its similarity to other names like
Max and
Jax.
Dayton m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from places named
Deighton, meaning
"ditch town" in Old English. Dayton is also the name of a city in Ohio. As a given name, it gained a bit of popularity in the 1990s, probably because it shares a similar sound with names such as
Peyton and
Clayton.
Deacon m English (Modern)Either from the occupational surname
Deacon or directly from the vocabulary word
deacon, which refers to a cleric in the Christian church (ultimately from Greek
διάκονος (diakonos) meaning "servant").
Dean m EnglishFrom a surname, see
Dean 1 and
Dean 2. The actor James Dean (1931-1955) was a famous bearer of the surname.
Deborah f English, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
דְּבוֹרָה (Devora) meaning
"bee". In the Old Testament Book of Judges, Deborah is a heroine and prophetess who leads the Israelites when they are threatened by the Canaanites. She forms an army under the command of
Barak, and together they destroy the army of the Canaanite commander Sisera. Also in the Old Testament, this is the name of the nurse of Rebecca.
... [more] Declan m Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of Irish
Deaglán, Old Irish
Declán, which is of unknown meaning. Saint Declan was a 5th-century missionary to the Déisi peoples of Ireland and the founder of the monastery at Ardmore.
... [more] Deja f African American (Modern)Means
"already" from the French phrase
déjà vu meaning "already seen". It received a popularity boost in 1995 when a character named Deja appeared in the movie
Higher Learning.
Delano m EnglishFrom a surname, recorded as
de la Noye in French, indicating that the bearer was from a place called La Noue (ultimately Gaulish meaning "wetland, swamp"). It has been used in honour of American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945), whose middle name came from his mother's maiden name.
Delmar m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Norman French
de la mare meaning
"from the pond".
Delphia f EnglishPossibly from the name of the Greek city of Delphi, the site of an oracle of
Apollo, which is possibly related to Greek
δελφύς (delphys) meaning "womb". It was used in the play
The Prophetess (1647), in which it belongs to the title prophetess.
Delphina f Late RomanFeminine form of the Latin name
Delphinus, which meant
"of Delphi". Delphi was a city in ancient Greece, the name of which is possibly related to Greek
δελφύς (delphys) meaning "womb". The Blessed Delphina was a 14th-century Provençal nun.
Delta f EnglishFrom the name of the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet,
Δ. It is also the name for an island formed at the mouth of a river.
Delwyn m WelshFrom Welsh
del "pretty" combined with
gwyn "white, blessed". It has been used as a given name since the start of the 20th century.
Demi f Greek, English (Modern)Alternate transcription of Greek
Δήμη or
Ντίμι or
Ντίμη (see
Dimi), as well as a short form of
Demetria. A famous bearer is American actress Demi Moore (1962-), and it is because of her that the name rose in popularity in the United States in the late 1980s. Though some sources claim Moore's birth name is Demetria, the actress herself has said she was born as Demi and named after a makeup product. The name received a further boost after 2008 with the release of the debut album by the singer Demi Lovato (1992-), who pronounces the name differently than the older actress. Lovato's birth name is Demetria.
Dena f EnglishPossibly a short form of names ending with
dena. It has also been used as a variant of
Deanna.
Denis m French, Russian, English, German, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Romanian, Croatian, AlbanianFrom
Denys or
Denis, the medieval French forms of
Dionysius. Saint Denis was a 3rd-century missionary to Gaul and the first bishop of Paris. He was martyred by decapitation, after which legend says he picked up his own severed head and walked for a distance while preaching a sermon. He is credited with converting the Gauls to Christianity and is considered the patron saint of France.
... [more] Derviş m TurkishFrom a Turkish word, which exists in English as
dervish, for a Sufi ascetic. It is derived from Persian, ultimately from Old Iranian *
drigu meaning "needy, poor".
Derya f TurkishMeans
"sea, ocean" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian.
Desi m & f EnglishDiminutive of
Desmond,
Desiree and other names beginning with a similar sound. In the case of musician and actor Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) it was a diminutive of
Desiderio.
Despoina f Greek Mythology, GreekMeans
"mistress, lady" in Greek. In Greek mythology this was the name of the daughter of Demeter and Poseidon. She was worshipped in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites practiced at Eleusis near Athens.
Destiny f EnglishMeans simply
"destiny, fate" from the English word, ultimately from Latin
destinare "to determine", a derivative of
stare "to stand". It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world only since the last half of the 20th century.
Devon m & f EnglishVariant of
Devin. It may also be partly inspired by the name of the county of Devon in England, which got its name from the Dumnonii, a Celtic tribe.
Dewi 1 m WelshPossibly from
Dewydd, an Old Welsh form of
David. Saint Dewi, the patron saint of Wales, was a 6th-century bishop of Mynyw. A later Welsh form of David was
Dafydd, which was more common in the medieval period. Dewi was revived in the 19th century.
Dezba f NavajoMeans
"going raiding" in Navajo, derived from
baa' meaning "raid".
Dick 1 m EnglishMedieval diminutive of
Richard. The change in the initial consonant is said to have been caused by the way the trilled Norman
R was pronounced by the English.
Diego m Spanish, ItalianSpanish name, possibly a shortened form of
Santiago. In medieval records
Diego was Latinized as
Didacus, and it has been suggested that it in fact derives from Greek
διδαχή (didache) meaning
"teaching". Saint Didacus (or Diego) was a 15th-century Franciscan brother based in Alcalá, Spain.
... [more] Digby m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from the name of an English town, itself derived from a combination of Old English
dic "dyke, ditch" and Old Norse
byr "farm, town".
Dike f Greek MythologyMeans
"justice, custom, order" in Greek. In Greek mythology Dike was the goddess of justice, one of the
Ὥραι (Horai).
Diklah m BiblicalPossibly means
"palm grove" in Hebrew or Aramaic. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Joktan.
Dina 1 f Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Latvian, Russian, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Biblical Hebrew, Biblical Greek, Biblical LatinForm of
Dinah in several languages, as well as the form in the Hebrew, Greek and Latin Old Testament.
Dinah f Biblical, EnglishMeans
"judged" in Hebrew, derived from
דִּין (din) meaning "to judge". According to the Old Testament, Dinah was a daughter of
Jacob and
Leah who was abducted by Shechem. It has been used as an English given name since after the Protestant Reformation.
Dinesh m Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Nepali, SinhaleseModern form of
Dinesha.
Dinesha m HinduismMeans
"day lord" from Sanskrit
दिन (dina) meaning "day" and
ईश (īśa) meaning "lord". In Hindu texts this is used as a name of the sun.
Dion m Ancient Greek, EnglishDerived from the Greek element
Διός (Dios) meaning "of
Zeus". This was the name of a 4th-century BC tyrant of Syracuse. It has been used as an American given name since the middle of the 20th century.
Dione 1 f Greek MythologyFrom Greek
Διός (Dios) meaning
"of Zeus". By extension, it means
"goddess". This was the name of an obscure Greek goddess who, according to some legends, was the mother of
Aphrodite.
Dior f & m English (Modern)From a French surname, possibly from
doré meaning
"golden". As a given name it has been inspired by the French luxury fashion house Dior, founded by the designer Christian Dior (1905-1957).
Dirk m Dutch, Low German, German, EnglishDutch and Low German short form of
Diederik. This name was borne by several counts of Frisia and Holland, beginning in the 10th century. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by actor Dirk Bogarde (1921-1999), who had some Dutch ancestry. This is also the Scots word for a type of dagger.
Dong m ChineseFrom Chinese
东 (dōng) meaning "east",
栋 (dòng) meaning "pillar, beam", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Dor m & f HebrewMeans
"generation" in Hebrew.
Dora f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, English, German, DutchShort form of
Dorothy,
Theodora or
Isidora.
Doran m English (Rare)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Deoradháin, from the byname
Deoradhán, derived from Irish
deoradh meaning "exile, wanderer" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Dorian m English, French, RomanianThe name was first used by Oscar Wilde in his novel
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), which tells the story of a man whose portrait ages while he stays young. Wilde may have taken it from the name of the ancient Greek tribe the Dorians.
Doris f English, German, Swedish, Danish, Croatian, Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyFrom the Greek name
Δωρίς (Doris), which meant
"Dorian woman". The Dorians were a Greek tribe who occupied the Peloponnese starting in the 12th century BC. In Greek mythology Doris was a sea nymph, one of the many children of Oceanus and Tethys. It began to be used as an English name in the 19th century. A famous bearer is the American actress Doris Day (1924-2019).
Dougal m ScottishAnglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic name
Dubhghall meaning
"dark stranger", from Old Irish
dub "dark" and
gall "stranger". This name was borne by a few medieval Scottish chiefs.
Douglas m Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was from the name of a town in Lanarkshire, itself named after a tributary of the River Clyde called the Douglas Water. It means
"dark river", derived from Gaelic
dubh "dark" and
glais "water, river" (an archaic word related to
glas "grey, green"). This was a Scottish Lowland clan, the leaders of which were powerful earls in the medieval period. The Gaelic form is
Dùghlas or
Dùbhghlas. It has been used as a given name since the 16th century.
Dove f EnglishFrom the English word for the variety of bird, seen as a symbol of peace.
Doyle m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Dubhghaill, itself derived from the given name
Dubhghall. A famous bearer of the surname was Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), the author of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories.
Dragoș m RomanianOriginally a short form of Slavic names beginning with the element
dorgŭ meaning
"precious", such as
Dragomir. This was the name of a 14th-century ruler of Moldavia.
Drake m EnglishFrom an English surname derived from the Old Norse byname
Draki or the Old English byname
Draca both meaning "dragon", both via Latin from Greek
δράκων (drakon) meaning "dragon, serpent". This name coincides with the unrelated English word
drake meaning "male duck". A famous bearer is the Canadian actor and rapper Drake (1986-), who was born as Aubrey Drake Graham.
Dražen m Croatian, SerbianDerived from the Slavic element
dorgŭ (South Slavic
drag) meaning
"precious", originally a diminutive of names beginning with that element.
Dre m EnglishShort form of
Andre. A famous bearer is the American rapper and music producer Dr. Dre (1965-), born Andre Young.
Dream f English (Modern)From the English word
dream referring to imaginary events seen in the mind while sleeping or a hope or wish.
Duane m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Dubháin, itself derived from the given name
Dubhán. Usage in America began around the start of the 20th century. It last appeared on the top 1000 rankings in 2002, though the variant
Dwayne lingered a few years longer.
Duarte m PortuguesePortuguese form of
Edward. This name was borne by a 15th-century king of Portugal, who was named after his maternal ancestor Edward III of England.
Duke m EnglishFrom the noble title
duke, which was originally derived from Latin
dux "leader".
Durante m ItalianItalian form of the Late Latin name
Durans, which meant
"enduring".
Durga f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Nepali, TeluguMeans
"unattainable, unassailable" in Sanskrit. Durga is a Hindu warrior goddess, usually depicted with multiple arms and riding on the back of a lion or tiger. The Puranas relate that she came into being to combat the buffalo demon Mahishasura. She is sometimes considered a fierce aspect of
Parvati the wife of
Shiva. In Shaktism she is viewed as a principal aspect of the supreme goddess
Mahadevi.
Dustin m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the Old Norse given name
Þórsteinn (see
Torsten). The name was popularized by the actor Dustin Hoffman (1937-), who was apparently named after the earlier silent movie star Dustin Farnum (1874-1929).
Dusty m & f EnglishFrom a nickname originally given to people perceived as being dusty. It is also used a diminutive of
Dustin. A famous bearer was British singer Dusty Springfield (1939-1999), who acquired her nickname as a child.
Dutch m EnglishFrom a nickname given to Americans of German descent (though nowadays it refers to a person from the Netherlands). It is related to
deutsch, the German word meaning "German".
Dwayne m EnglishVariant of
Duane, with the spelling altered due to the influence of
Wayne. A notable bearer is the American actor Dwayne Johnson (1972-), known as The Rock when he was a professional wrestler.
Dwi m & f IndonesianMeans
"two, second" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit
द्वि (dvi).
Dwight m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the medieval feminine name
Diot, a diminutive of
Dionysia, the feminine form of
Dionysius. In America it was sometimes given in honour of Yale president Timothy Dwight (1752-1817). A famous bearer was the American president Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969).
Dyaus m HinduismFrom Sanskrit
द्यु (dyu) meaning
"sky", ultimately connected to the name of the Indo-European god *
Dyēws. In the
Rigveda he is the sky god, the consort of the earth goddess
Prithvi. He is also called
Dyaus Pita meaning "father sky". His name is cognate with other Indo-European theonyms such as Greek
Zeus and Latin
Jupiter.
Dylan m Welsh, English, Welsh MythologyFrom the Welsh prefix
dy meaning "to, toward" and
llanw meaning "tide, flow". According to the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi, Dylan was a son of
Arianrhod and the twin brother of
Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Immediately after he was baptized he took to the sea, where he could swim as well as a fish. He was slain accidentally by his uncle
Gofannon. According to some theories the character might be rooted in an earlier and otherwise unattested Celtic god of the sea.
... [more] Éamon m IrishVariant of
Éamonn. This name was borne by American-born Irish president Éamon de Valera (1882-1975), whose birth name was Edward.
Earl m EnglishFrom the aristocratic title, which derives from Old English
eorl "nobleman, warrior". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.
Easton m English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from place names meaning
"east town" in Old English.
Ebony f African AmericanFrom the English word
ebony for the black wood that comes from the ebony tree. It is ultimately from the Egyptian word
hbnj. In America this name is most often used in the black community.
Ebru f TurkishMeans
"paper marbling" in Turkish. Paper marbling is the art of creating colourful patterns on paper.
Echo f Greek MythologyFrom the Greek word
ἠχώ (echo) meaning
"echo, reflected sound", related to
ἠχή (eche) meaning "sound". In Greek mythology Echo was a nymph given a speech impediment by
Hera, so that she could only repeat what others said. She fell in love with
Narcissus, but her love was not returned, and she pined away until nothing remained of her except her voice.
Ecrin f TurkishMeaning unknown, possibly from an Arabic word meaning
"reward".
Edgar m English, French, Portuguese, GermanDerived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
gar "spear". This was the name of a 10th-century English king, Edgar the Peaceful. The name did not survive long after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 18th century, in part due to a character by this name in Walter Scott's novel
The Bride of Lammermoor (1819), which tells of the tragic love between Edgar Ravenswood and Lucy Ashton. Famous bearers include author and poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), French impressionist painter Edgar Degas (1834-1917), and author Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950).
Edina f HungarianPossibly a diminutive of names beginning with the Old German element
adal meaning
"noble".
Édith f FrenchFrench form of
Edith. A notable bearer was the French cabaret singer Édith Piaf (1915-1963).
Edith f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, DutchFrom the Old English name
Eadgyð, derived from the elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
guð "battle". It was popular among Anglo-Saxon royalty, being borne for example by Saint Eadgyeth;, the daughter of King Edgar the Peaceful. It was also borne by the Anglo-Saxon wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I. The name remained common after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the 15th century, but was revived in the 19th century.
Edmao m LimburgishLimburgish form of
Edmund. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Edmond.
Edna f English, Hebrew, BiblicalMeans
"pleasure" in Hebrew, a derivative of
עָדַן (ʿaḏan) meaning "to delight". This name appears in the Old Testament Apocrypha, for instance in the Book of Tobit belonging to the wife of
Raguel. It was borne by the American poet Edna Dean Proctor (1829-1923). It did not become popular until the second half of the 19th century, after it was used for the heroine in the successful 1866 novel
St. Elmo by Augusta Jane Evans. It peaked around the turn of the century and has declined steadily since then, falling off the American top 1000 list in 1992.
Edom m Biblical, Biblical HebrewFrom Hebrew
אָדֹם (ʾaḏom) meaning
"red". According to the Old Testament,
Esau, who is described as having red skin, was given this name because he traded his birthright for a helping of red broth. The bible goes on to tell that Esau was the founder of the ancient nation of Edom, located to the south of the kingdom of Judah.
Edric m English (Rare)From the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
ric "ruler, king". After the Norman Conquest this Old English name was not commonly used. It has occasionally been revived in modern times.
Edwin m English, DutchMeans
"rich friend", from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
wine "friend". This was the name of a 7th-century Northumbrian king, regarded as a saint. After the Norman Conquest the name was not popular, but it was eventually revived in the 19th century. A notable bearer was the astronaut Edwin Aldrin (1930-), also known as
Buzz, the second man to walk on the moon.
Egil m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Egill, a diminutive of names that began with the element
agi "awe, fear". This was the name of a semi-legendary 10th-century Viking, described in the Icelandic
Egill's Saga.
Egon m GermanFrom the Old German name
Egino, derived from the element
agin meaning
"edge, blade" (from Proto-Germanic *
agjō). Saint Egino was a 12th-century abbot from Augsburg.
Ehud m Biblical, Hebrew, Biblical HebrewMeaning unknown, possibly related to Hebrew
אָחַד (ʾaḥaḏ) meaning
"to unite" or
הוֹד (hoḏ) meaning
"glory". In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the biblical judges. He killed Eglon, the king of Moab, and freed the city of Jericho from Moabite rule.
Eiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
栄 (ei) meaning "glory, honour, flourish, prosper" or
英 (ei) meaning "excellent, fine" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Eira 1 f WelshMeans
"snow" in Welsh. This is a recently created name.
El m Semitic MythologyFrom a Semitic root meaning
"god". This was a title applied to several Semitic gods. The Canaanites used it as the name of their chief deity, the father of the gods and mankind. The Hebrews used it to refer to
Yahweh.