Damian
Damian was the 109th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,213 babies. Its best year was 2013, when it ranked 98th with 3,976 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 7 places. More babies were named Damian in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning to tame · Greek
Say it DAY-mee-uhn /ˈdeɪmiən/
- Rank in 2025
- #109 boys, up 1 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 3,213boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20133,976 babies
- Total since 1880
- 110,256babies recorded
What does the name Damian mean?
Damian comes from the Greek name Damianos, which DMNES and Wiktionary connect with the verb damazo, 'to tame, subdue'. Wiktionary notes that the name was already known in ancient Greece before Christian saints bore it, and DMNES lists a 3rd-century Roman martyr, a 6th-century saint and an 8th-century Italian saint with the name. DMNES records Damianus in an English document of 1222. Damien is the French form, and Damián the Spanish.
Δαμιανός (Ancient Greek, “Damianos”)δαμάζω (Ancient Greek, “to tame, subdue”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Damien, Damián, Damiano.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Damian', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Damian', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Damian popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 336 since 1968.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #109 | 3,213 |
| 2020 | #110 | 3,339 |
| 2010 | #121 | 3,366 |
| 2000 | #205 | 1,720 |
| 1990 | #322 | 782 |
| 1980 | #326 | 582 |
| 1970 | #446 | 339 |
| 1960 | #683 | 132 |
| 1950 | #1,188 | 37 |
| 1940 | #1,693 | 17 |
| 1930 | #2,478 | 11 |
| 1920 | #3,272 | 8 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Damian, counting every spelling?
Damian is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #87 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #109 for Damian on its own. Together these spellings went to 4,153 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damian | 3,213 | #109 | 16,516 |
| Damien | 935 | #352 | 5,290 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Damian?
3,213 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Damian (0.89 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Damian born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 3 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Damian.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Damian?
About 106,700 people born in the US named Damian are alive today, with a median age of 16; half are between 8 and 26. That makes Damian mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Damian by state
How common Damian was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (2.4×), New Mexico (2.4×), Nevada (2.4×), Arizona (2.1×), Texas (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in South Dakota, Montana, North Dakota.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Damian: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Damian, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Damian · Sibling names for Damian
Questions about the name Damian
What does Damian mean?
Damian means “to tame” (Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Damian?
Damian was the 109th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,213 babies. Its best year was 2013, when it ranked 98th with 3,976 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 7 places. More babies were named Damian in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Damian a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Damian in the US.
Where is Damian most popular?
In 2021–2025, Damian was most common in California (4.65 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Mexico and Nevada.