Daphne
Daphne was the 178th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,740 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 200 places. More babies were named Daphne in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning laurel, bay tree · Greek
Say it DAF-nee /ˈdæfni/
- Rank in 2025
- #178 girls, up 237 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,740girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20251,740 babies
- Total since 1880
- 44,189babies recorded
What does the name Daphne mean?
Daphne is the Greek word daphne, 'laurel, bay tree'. In Greek myth Daphne is a nymph who, pursued by the god Apollo, is turned into a laurel tree, which became his sacred plant; Wikipedia tells the story. Wiktionary records Daphne as a girl's name from Ancient Greek, and Wikipedia gives Dafne as a variant spelling. Wikipedia notes that in the myth she was a naiad, a nymph of springs and streams.
δάφνη (Ancient Greek, “laurel, bay tree”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Dafne, Daphna.
See also: Greek names, names that mean tree.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Daphne', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Daphne (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Daphne
The usual nicknames for Daphne are Daph.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daph | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Daphnes go by each one.
Daphne popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 7 since 1962.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #178 | 1,740 |
| 2020 | #415 | 753 |
| 2010 | #489 | 618 |
| 2000 | #633 | 396 |
| 1990 | #765 | 268 |
| 1980 | #637 | 286 |
| 1970 | #360 | 683 |
| 1960 | #573 | 295 |
| 1950 | #513 | 252 |
| 1940 | #703 | 98 |
| 1930 | #701 | 97 |
| 1920 | #712 | 104 |
| 1910 | #1,080 | 17 |
| 1900 | #926 | 17 |
| 1890 | #696 | 15 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Daphne, counting every spelling?
Daphne is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #171 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #178 for Daphne on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,987 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daphne | 1,740 | #178 | 6,809 |
| Dafne | 237 | #1,047 | 1,060 |
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 Daphne?
1,740 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Daphne (0.48 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Daphne 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 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Daphne.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Daphne?
About 39,100 people born in the US named Daphne are alive today, with a median age of 25; half are between 9 and 56. That makes Daphne mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Daphne by state
How common Daphne was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (4.3×), Maine (2.5×), Idaho (2.5×), Oregon (2.3×), New Mexico (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, North Dakota, Rhode Island.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Daphne: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Daphne, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Daphne · Sibling names for Daphne
Questions about the name Daphne
What does Daphne mean?
Daphne means “laurel, bay tree” (Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Daphne?
Daphne was the 178th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,740 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 200 places. More babies were named Daphne in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Daphne a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Daphne in the US.
Where is Daphne most popular?
In 2021–2025, Daphne was most common in District of Columbia (3.63 per 1,000 girls), followed by Maine and Idaho.