Damon
Damon was the 501st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 604 babies. Its best year was 1976, when it ranked 104th with 2,453 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 74 places. More babies were named Damon in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Meaning to tame (Greek) · Greek
Say it DAY-mun /ˈdeɪmən/
- Rank in 2025
- #501 boys, down 71 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 604boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19762,453 babies
- Total since 1880
- 69,157babies recorded
What does the name Damon mean?
Damon is a Greek name, Damōn, which Wiktionary derives from damazō, "to tame, subdue"; DMNES gives the same root for the related Damian. It is known from the classical story of Damon and Pythias, two friends each willing to die for the other. It has been used in English since the 20th century.
δαμάζω (Ancient Greek, “to tame, subdue”)
How sure is this? Probable. The 'tame' root is standard; the name's formation is not discussed in detail.
Related names: Damian, Damien, Daemon.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Damon', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Damian', DMNES, Durham University
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Damon', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Damon popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 316 since 1951.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #501 | 604 |
| 2020 | #430 | 693 |
| 2010 | #419 | 668 |
| 2000 | #289 | 1,044 |
| 1990 | #321 | 788 |
| 1980 | #251 | 897 |
| 1970 | #174 | 1,622 |
| 1960 | #418 | 362 |
| 1950 | #627 | 120 |
| 1940 | #772 | 64 |
| 1930 | #896 | 55 |
| 1920 | #866 | 62 |
| 1910 | #1,337 | 7 |
| 1900 | #797 | 11 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | #839 | 6 |
How popular is Damon, counting every spelling?
Damon is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #490 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #501 for Damon on its own. Together these spellings went to 619 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damon | 604 | #501 | 3,508 |
| Damen | 15 | #5,914 | 68 |
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 Damon?
604 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Damon (0.17 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Damon 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 14 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Damon.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Damon?
About 61,600 people born in the US named Damon are alive today, with a median age of 40; half are between 22 and 52. That makes Damon mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Damon by state
How common Damon was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in West Virginia (2.2×), Oklahoma (1.9×), Arkansas (1.9×), Kansas (1.8×), Utah (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Montana, New Jersey, Connecticut.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Damon: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Damon, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Damon · Sibling names for Damon
Questions about the name Damon
What does Damon mean?
Damon means “to tame (Greek)” (Greek origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Damon?
Damon was the 501st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 604 babies. Its best year was 1976, when it ranked 104th with 2,453 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 74 places. More babies were named Damon in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Is Damon a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Damon in the US.
Where is Damon most popular?
In 2021–2025, Damon was most common in Alaska (0.92 per 1,000 boys), followed by West Virginia and Oklahoma.