Baby names starting with D
85 names beginning with D, each with an editorial meaning and origin note and its real popularity rank from the 2025 U.S. Social Security Administration data. Rank is U.S.-only and reflects how records are grouped in that source.
- Dafne Spanish and Italian form of Daphne, from Greek 'daphne' = laurel, bay tree; in Greek myth the nymph who was turned into a laurel to escape Apollo
- Dahlia from the flower, named for the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl, who died in 1789
- Daisy from the flower, Old English 'daeges eage' = day's eye, for the way it opens at dawn; also used for Margaret, since the French for the flower is marguerite
- Dakota from the Dakota people, whose name in their own Siouan tongue means friend, ally
- Daleyza modern coinage popularized in the United States after 2013 by the daughter of the singer Larry Hernandez; no older documented root
- Dalia Hebrew Dalya = a hanging branch, a bough; also used as a spelling of Dahlia, the flower named for the botanist Anders Dahl
- Dalilah variant spelling of Delilah, from Hebrew Delilah, linked to 'dalal' = to weaken, or read as 'delicate'
- Dallas Scottish surname from a place in Moray, probably Brittonic 'dol' = meadow + 'gwas' = dwelling; also the Texas city, named for a vice-president
- Dalton surname from English place names, Old English 'dael' = valley + 'tun' = settlement
- Damari modern American coinage in the -ari family (compare Amari, Jamari); occasionally linked to the Greek name Damaris, though this form has no documented older root
- Damian from Greek Damianos, probably from 'damao' = to tame, to subdue
- Damien French form of Damian, from Greek Damianos, probably from 'damao' = to tame, to subdue
- Damir South Slavic name, usually explained from 'dati' = to give + 'mir' = peace, world; some derive it instead from Turkic 'demir' = iron
- Damon Greek Damon, from 'damao' = to tame, to subdue; the friend who stood surety for Pythias in the old story of loyalty
- Dana of debated origin: used as a feminine form of Daniel (Hebrew 'God is my judge'), as a Scandinavian word for a Dane, and as a transferred English surname
- Dane either from the English surname meaning a Dane, a person from Denmark, or from Old English 'denu' = valley
- Dangelo from the Italian surname D'Angelo = 'of Angelo', from Greek 'angelos' = messenger, angel
- Dani short form of Danielle, from Hebrew Daniyyel = 'God is my judge'
- Dania either a feminine form of Daniel, from Hebrew 'Daniyyel' = 'God is my judge', or Arabic 'daniya' = near, close at hand
- Daniel from Hebrew Daniyyel = 'God is my judge'
- Daniela Spanish and Italian feminine of Daniel, from Hebrew = 'God is my judge'
- Daniella feminine elaboration of Daniel, from Hebrew = 'God is my judge'
- Danielle French feminine of Daniel, from Hebrew = 'God is my judge'
- Danna either a variant of Dana or a short feminine form of Daniel/Danielle, from Hebrew Daniyyel = 'God is my judge'; root debated
- Danny diminutive of Daniel, from Hebrew Daniyyel = 'God is my judge'
- Dante Italian short form of Durante, from Latin 'durans' = enduring, steadfast; borne by the poet Dante Alighieri
- Daphne Greek 'daphne' = laurel, bay tree; the nymph turned into a laurel to escape Apollo
- Dariana modern Spanish-American blend of Daria with the -ana ending; Daria is the feminine of Darius, from Old Persian Darayavahush = 'possessing goodness'
- Dariel modern name, chiefly Hispanic, apparently formed from Dario (Darius, Old Persian Darayavaush = 'holding firm the good') with the -el ending of Gabriel and Ariel
- Dario Italian and Spanish form of Darius, from Old Persian Darayavaush = 'holding firm the good'
- Darius Greek form of Old Persian Darayavaush = 'holding firm the good', from 'daraya' = to hold + 'vahu' = good
- Darren of uncertain origin; possibly from an Irish surname, and widely used in English-speaking countries only from the mid-20th century
- Dash short form of Dashiell, an Americanized spelling of a French surname of obscure origin; also read as the English word 'dash' = to move quickly
- David from Hebrew Dawid, generally read as 'beloved'
- Davina Scottish feminine form of David, from Hebrew David = 'beloved'
- Davis surname meaning 'son of David', from Hebrew Dawid = 'beloved'
- Dawson transferred surname meaning 'son of Daw', Daw being a medieval pet form of David, from Hebrew = 'beloved'
- Dax from the town of Dax in Gascony, France, whose name goes back to Latin 'aquae' = the waters, for its Roman springs
- Daxton modern American coinage, extending Dax (a short name of uncertain origin, also a town in southwest France) with the popular '-ton' ending
- Dayana Spanish form of Diana, a Latin name linked to 'dius' = divine, heavenly; the Roman goddess of the hunt and the moon
- Dayton transferred English surname, from the place name Deighton, from Old English 'dic' = ditch + 'tun' = enclosure, settlement
- Deacon from the church office, Greek 'diakonos' = servant, attendant
- Dean either an English surname from Old English 'denu' = valley, or an occupational surname for a church dean, from Latin 'decanus' = leader of ten
- Deandre modern African-American coinage joining the De- prefix to Andre, the French form of Andrew, from Greek 'andreios' = manly, brave
- Declan anglicized form of the Irish Deaglan, borne by an early saint of the Deisi; the root is not recoverable with confidence
- Delaney transferred surname, either from the Irish O Dubhshlaine = 'descendant of Dubhshlaine' ('dubh' = black + the river-name Slaine), or from Norman French 'de l'aunaie' = from the alder grove
- Delilah from Hebrew Delilah, usually connected with 'dalal' = to weaken, to languish; sometimes read instead as 'delicate'
- Della short form of Adela and Adelaide, from Germanic 'adal' = noble
- Demetrius from Greek Demetrios = 'devoted to Demeter', the goddess of grain and the harvest
- Demi either a short form of Demetria, from the Greek goddess Demeter (second element 'meter' = mother), or from French 'demi' = half
- Dennis from Latin Dionysius, 'belonging to Dionysus', the Greek god of wine
- Denver surname from the Norfolk village of Denver, Old English for the crossing of the Danes; also the Colorado city, named for a territorial governor
- Denzel from the Cornish place name and surname Denzell, of uncertain meaning; widely known through the actor Denzel Washington
- Dereck variant spelling of Derek, from the Low German Diederik (Theodoric), from Germanic 'theud' = people + 'ric' = ruler
- Derek from a Low German short form of Theodoric (Diederik), from Germanic 'theud' = people + 'ric' = ruler; 'ruler of the people'
- Derrick from the Dutch Diederik (Theodoric), from Germanic 'theud' = people + 'ric' = power, ruler; 'ruler of the people'
- Desmond from the Irish surname Deasmhumhnach = 'man of south Munster', from 'deas' = south + Mumhan, Munster
- Destiny from the English word, through Old French from Latin 'destinare' = to make firm, to determine
- Devin either from the Irish surname O Damhain, from 'damh' = ox, stag, or from an English surname taken from the county of Devon
- Devon from the English county of Devon, named for the Dumnonii, a Celtic people whose name is linked to a root meaning 'deep'; also used as a variant of the Irish name Devin
- Dexter either from Latin 'dexter' = right-handed, skilful, or from an English occupational surname for a dyer
- Diana the Roman goddess of the hunt and the moon; from an old Italic root 'dius' = divine, bright, akin to the word for day
- Diego Spanish, drawn out of Santiago (Saint James) by a false split of Sant Yago; a rival derivation from Latin Didacus, from Greek 'didache' = teaching, is also argued; root debated
- Dilan variant spelling of Dylan, a Welsh name usually read as the intensive 'dy' + 'llanw' = tide, sea; borne in the Mabinogi by a figure who took to the sea
- Dillon an Irish surname of Norman origin; in modern American use most often a respelling of the Welsh name Dylan, usually read as 'great tide' or 'son of the sea'
- Dimitri Russian and Slavic form of Greek Demetrios = 'devoted to Demeter', the Greek goddess of grain and the harvest
- Dion from the Greek Dion, formed on 'Dios', the genitive of Zeus; also a short form of Dionysios
- Dior from the French couture house of Christian Dior; taken up as a given name in the United States from the 2000s
- Dominic from Latin Dominicus = 'of the Lord', from 'dominus' = lord; traditionally given to children born on a Sunday, the dies dominica
- Dominick variant of Dominic, from Latin Dominicus = 'of the Lord', from 'dominus' = lord
- Donald Scottish, from Gaelic Domhnall, from Celtic 'dumno' = world + 'val' = rule
- Donovan from the Irish surname O Donnabhain, 'donn' = brown, dark + 'dubh' = black, a byname for colouring
- Dorian from Greek Dorieus, a member of the Dorian people; put into English by Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890)
- Dorothy from Greek Dorothea: 'doron' = gift + 'theos' = god; 'gift of God'
- Douglas Scottish surname from a place name, Gaelic 'dubh' = dark + 'glas' = stream, water; 'dark water'
- Draven modern American name popularized by the 1994 film The Crow, whose protagonist is Eric Draven; no older root
- Dream English word name; Old English 'dream' meant 'joy, music', and the modern sense of a vision in sleep was reinforced by Old Norse 'draumr'
- Drew short form of Andrew, from Greek 'andreios' = manly, brave; also a Norman surname of Germanic origin
- Dua from Arabic 'dua' = supplication, personal prayer or invocation addressed to God
- Duke from the title, Latin 'dux' = leader; long used in America as a nickname before it became a given name
- Dulce Spanish 'dulce' = sweet, from Latin 'dulcis'; taken from the Marian title Dulce Nombre, the sweet name of Mary
- Duncan from the Gaelic Donnchadh, 'donn' = brown, dark + 'cath' = battle
- Dustin either from the Old Norse Thorsteinn, the god Thor + 'steinn' = stone, or from an English place surname; spread after the actor Dustin Hoffman
- Dutton transferred surname, from places in Cheshire and Lancashire, from the Old English personal name Dudda + 'tun' = enclosure, settlement
- Dylan Welsh, from an intensive prefix + 'llanw' = tide, flow; a sea-child in Welsh legend, generally read as 'great tide'; spread through Dylan Thomas and Bob Dylan
Only names carrying a meaning note are listed here. Popularity-only records exist for many more spellings and are reachable through the full directory search.
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