girl's name
Daisy
DAY-zee
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 222,399
the United States
#75
2025 births
Daisy is a girl's name of English origin naming the flower, and its meaning is unusually literal: daisy comes from the Old English dægesege, "day's eye," because the flower opens its petals at dawn and closes them at dusk.
- Daisy is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in US records in 2025, when 3,206 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 362 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Daisy over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. Daisy is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 6,077 |
| 1890s | 6,266 |
| 1900s | 7,711 |
| 1910s | 12,536 |
| 1920s | 13,730 |
| 1930s | 9,147 |
| 1940s | 6,945 |
| 1950s | 5,110 |
| 1960s | 3,543 |
| 1970s | 3,093 |
| 1980s | 9,310 |
| 1990s | 20,096 |
| 2000s | 22,853 |
| 2010s | 17,890 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 15,048 |
What Daisy means
Daisy means day's eye, from the flower's habit of opening at sunrise and closing at nightfall. The name also served historically as a nickname for Margaret, since the French for the flower is marguerite.
Where Daisy comes from
Daisy comes from the Old English dægesege, a compound of dæg, day, and eage, eye — the flower was named for opening its petals at dawn and closing them at dusk, so that the yellow center appears and disappears like an eye. It is one of the more transparent flower etymologies in English and one of the few where the original metaphor is still visible once explained. Daisy also functioned as a pet form of Margaret, by way of the French marguerite, which names the same flower. As a given name it belongs to the Victorian botanical fashion, appearing alongside Lily, Violet and Ivy, and has returned strongly in Britain in recent decades.
Daisy in use
Daisy served as a nickname for Margaret because the French word for the flower, marguerite, is also the French form of that name.
How popular is Daisy?
In 2025, Daisy was given to 1,454 babies in England and Wales, ranking #18 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Daisy is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Daisy
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Daisy also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Daisy over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Daisy in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Daisy
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Daisy — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Daisy
What does the name Daisy mean?
Daisy means "day's eye," from the Old English dægesege, because the flower opens at dawn and closes at dusk.
Is Daisy short for Margaret?
It was used that way, because the French for the flower, marguerite, is also the French form of Margaret.
Is Daisy a Victorian name?
Yes. It belongs to the Victorian fashion for flower names alongside Lily, Violet and Ivy.
How popular is the name Daisy?
In 2025, Daisy was given to 1,454 babies in England and Wales, ranking #18 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Is Daisy a girl's or a boy's name?
Daisy is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Daisy?
Daisy has 2 syllables.
When was Daisy most popular?
Daisy peaked in 2025, when 3,206 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Daisy a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Daisy currently ranks #18 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.