boy's name
Damon
DAY-men
- Origin Greek
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 74,412
the United States
#501
2025 births
Damon means one who tames, and the story attached to it is about friendship — Damon and Pythias each offered to die in the other's place, which persuaded a tyrant to release them both.
- Damon is a name of Greek origin.
- Peaked in 1976, when 2,478 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 5,489 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Damon over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. 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 | 11 |
| 1890s | 45 |
| 1900s | 87 |
| 1910s | 336 |
| 1920s | 601 |
| 1930s | 631 |
| 1940s | 923 |
| 1950s | 2,056 |
| 1960s | 8,163 |
| 1970s | 20,252 |
| 1980s | 6,370 |
| 1990s | 9,654 |
| 2000s | 8,698 |
| 2010s | 7,129 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,201 |
What Damon means
Damon means one who tames, or subdues. The Greek verb damazein means to tame or overpower, so the name describes an act rather than a quality.
Where Damon comes from
Damon is the Greek Damon, from damazein, to tame or subdue — the same root behind the adamant, which is untameable, and behind diamond by a long route. The legend has Pythias condemned to death by Dionysius of Syracuse and Damon standing surety so his friend could settle his affairs; Pythias returned as the execution began, and the tyrant freed them both. Damon is also a shepherd in Virgil's Eclogues, which gave the name its pastoral flavour in English poetry.
Damon in use
Damon peaked in the United States in 1976, when 2,478 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It now ranks 501st in the United States on 604 births, 648th in Scotland on 5, 955th in England and Wales on 35 and 1987th in France on 15, across 74,412 lifetime births in five of the seven markets we track.
How popular is Damon?
In 2025, Damon was given to 604 babies in the United States, ranking #501 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Damon is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Damon
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Damon also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Damon over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Damon 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 Damon
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Damon — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Damon
What does the name Damon mean?
One who tames — the Greek damazein, to subdue.
What is the Damon and Pythias story?
Damon stood surety for his condemned friend, who returned as the execution began. The tyrant freed them both.
Is Damon the same as Damian?
No — Damian comes from a separate Greek name, though the two are often confused.
How popular is Damon?
501st in the United States, and our data marks it stable.
Is Damon a girl's or a boy's name?
Damon is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Damon?
Damon has 2 syllables.
Is Damon a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Damon currently ranks #501 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.