Dorian
Dorian was the 539th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 557 babies. Its best year was 2000, when it ranked 398th; the most babies were born in 2008 (641). Over the last ten years it has moved up 21 places. More babies were named Dorian in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning of the Dorians (a Greek people) · Greek, English
Say it DOR-ee-un /ˈdɔriən/
- Rank in 2025
- #539 boys, down 27 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 557boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2008641 babies
- Total since 1880
- 28,728babies recorded
What does the name Dorian mean?
Dorian means "of the Dorians," an ancient Greek people, named after the region of Doris. Wiktionary says the English name was formed like French Doriens from Latin Dores plus -ian. Wiktionary notes the name's most famous use: Oscar Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891). Wiktionary also records Dorian as an occasional girls' name. In the US it has been used for boys since the early 20th century.
Δωριεύς (Ancient Greek, “a Dorian, of Doris”)Dōres (Latin, “the Dorians”)
How sure is this? Probable. The ethnic-name source is clear; how much given-name use predates Wilde's novel is not documented in our sources.
Related names: Doriana, Dorien.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Dorian' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th ed., biographical entry 'Wilde, Oscar', HarperCollins / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Dorian popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,245 | #539 | 7 | 557 |
| 2020 | #6,713 | #512 | 17 | 559 |
| 2010 | #4,775 | #503 | 30 | 514 |
| 2000 | #2,412 | #398 | 64 | 639 |
| 1990 | #2,107 | #520 | 62 | 358 |
| 1980 | #1,342 | #675 | 94 | 165 |
| 1970 | #1,958 | #686 | 43 | 146 |
| 1960 | #1,164 | #1,036 | 88 | 55 |
| 1950 | #1,532 | #1,090 | 37 | 42 |
| 1940 | #3,979 | #2,366 | 6 | 10 |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | #4,523 | #3,574 | 6 | 7 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Dorian, counting every spelling?
Dorian is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #543 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #539 for Dorian on its own. Together these spellings went to 557 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorian | 557 | #539 | 2,602 |
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 Dorian?
557 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Dorian (0.15 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Dorian 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 15 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Dorian.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Dorian?
About 22,900 people born in the US named Dorian are alive today, with a median age of 22; half are between 11 and 35. That makes Dorian 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.
Dorian by state
How common Dorian was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Arizona (2.2×), Oregon (1.8×), California (1.7×), Colorado (1.7×), Nevada (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Dorian: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Dorian, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Dorian · Sibling names for Dorian
Questions about the name Dorian
What does Dorian mean?
Dorian means “of the Dorians (a Greek people)” (Greek, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Dorian?
Dorian was the 539th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 557 babies. Its best year was 2000, when it ranked 398th; the most babies were born in 2008 (641). Over the last ten years it has moved up 21 places. More babies were named Dorian in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Dorian a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Dorian in the US.
Where is Dorian most popular?
In 2021–2025, Dorian was most common in Arizona (0.67 per 1,000 boys), followed by Oregon and California.