Demetrius
Demetrius was the 1229th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 164 babies. Its best year was 1991, when it ranked 259th with 1,052 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 550 places. More babies were named Demetrius in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning "devoted to Demeter" · Greek
Say it duh-MEE-tree-us /dəˈmitriəs/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,229 boys, down 373 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 164boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19911,052 babies
- Total since 1880
- 37,791babies recorded
What does the name Demetrius mean?
Demetrius is the Latin form of the Greek Dēmētrios, "belonging to Demeter", the goddess of grain and harvest. Wiktionary analyses her name as "earth mother", though that analysis is debated. The name was borne by kings and saints, including the soldier-martyr Saint Demetrius of Thessalonica, and lives on as Dimitri and Dmitry. In the US Demetrius was most popular around 1990.
Δημήτριος (Ancient Greek, “Dēmētrios, of Demeter”)Δημήτηρ (Ancient Greek, “Demeter, goddess of grain”)
How sure is this? Well established. The name certainly refers to Demeter; the "earth mother" reading of Demeter is one proposal.
Related names: Dimitri, Dmitry, Demetria, Demetrio, Demi.
See also: Greek names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Demetrius', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Demetrius', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Demetrius', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Demetrius popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,727 since 1946.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,229 | 164 |
| 2020 | #856 | 266 |
| 2010 | #514 | 501 |
| 2000 | #384 | 679 |
| 1990 | #291 | 867 |
| 1980 | #294 | 694 |
| 1970 | #375 | 466 |
| 1960 | #854 | 79 |
| 1950 | #1,580 | 22 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | #3,367 | 7 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Demetrius, counting every spelling?
Demetrius is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,014 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,229 for Demetrius on its own. Together these spellings went to 205 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demetrius | 164 | #1,229 | 1,153 |
| Dimitrios | 33 | #3,464 | 160 |
| Dimitrius | 8 | #9,122 | 41 |
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 Demetrius?
164 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Demetrius (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Demetrius 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 51 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Demetrius.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Demetrius?
About 33,800 people born in the US named Demetrius are alive today, with a median age of 34; half are between 23 and 46. That makes Demetrius 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.
Demetrius by state
How common Demetrius was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Michigan (2.8×), South Carolina (2.3×), Georgia (2.3×), Alabama (1.9×), Ohio (1.7×). In 21 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Demetrius: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Demetrius, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Demetrius · Sibling names for Demetrius
Questions about the name Demetrius
What does Demetrius mean?
Demetrius means “"devoted to Demeter"” (Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Demetrius?
Demetrius was the 1229th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 164 babies. Its best year was 1991, when it ranked 259th with 1,052 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 550 places. More babies were named Demetrius in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Demetrius a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Demetrius in the US.
Where is Demetrius most popular?
In 2021–2025, Demetrius was most common in Michigan (0.38 per 1,000 boys), followed by South Carolina and Georgia.