Darius
Darius was the 788th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 322 babies. Its best year was 1990, when it ranked 152nd; the most babies were born in 1994 (2,184). Over the last ten years it has moved down 286 places. More babies were named Darius in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning holding firm the good (Old Persian) · Old Persian, Greek, Latin
Say it duh-RYE-us /dəˈraɪəs/
- Rank in 2025
- #788 boys, down 196 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 322boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19942,184 babies
- Total since 1880
- 54,278babies recorded
What does the name Darius mean?
Darius is the Latin form of Old Persian Dārayavahuš, the name of several Persian kings of the 6th to 4th centuries BC. Wiktionary traces it through Greek Dareios and explains the Old Persian name as a verb meaning to hold plus a word for good: roughly "holder of the good." Wiktionary gives several English pronunciations, including DAIR-ee-us and duh-RYE-us. Darius has been used in the US since 1880.
Dārayavahuš (Old Persian, “Darius”)dārayatiy (Old Persian, “to hold”)*vahu (Old Persian, “good”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wiktionary only; the Old Persian analysis is reconstructed.
Related names: Dario, Dariusz, Daryush.
See also: Persian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Darius' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry '𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁' (Old Persian section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Darius popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 272 since 1965.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #788 | 322 |
| 2020 | #592 | 469 |
| 2010 | #337 | 929 |
| 2000 | #220 | 1,564 |
| 1990 | #152 | 2,033 |
| 1980 | #356 | 497 |
| 1970 | #502 | 259 |
| 1960 | #826 | 85 |
| 1950 | #1,260 | 33 |
| 1940 | #1,482 | 21 |
| 1930 | #1,707 | 19 |
| 1920 | #2,066 | 16 |
| 1910 | #1,339 | 7 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | #608 | 10 |
How popular is Darius, counting every spelling?
Darius is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #729 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #788 for Darius on its own. Together these spellings went to 349 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darius | 322 | #788 | 1,869 |
| Darrius | 27 | #3,971 | 192 |
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 Darius?
322 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Darius (0.09 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Darius 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 26 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Darius.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Darius?
About 51,300 people born in the US named Darius are alive today, with a median age of 29; half are between 20 and 36. That makes Darius 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.
Darius by state
How common Darius was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Mississippi (2.4×), Louisiana (2.1×), Maryland (1.9×), Georgia (1.8×), Washington (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Oregon, Iowa, Kansas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Darius: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Darius, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Darius · Sibling names for Darius
Questions about the name Darius
What does Darius mean?
Darius means “holding firm the good (Old Persian)” (Old Persian, Greek, Latin origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Darius?
Darius was the 788th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 322 babies. Its best year was 1990, when it ranked 152nd; the most babies were born in 1994 (2,184). Over the last ten years it has moved down 286 places. More babies were named Darius in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Darius a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Darius in the US.
Where is Darius most popular?
In 2021–2025, Darius was most common in Mississippi (0.51 per 1,000 boys), followed by Louisiana and Maryland.