girl's name
Daphne
DAF-nee
- Origin Greek
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 61,625
the United States
#178
2025 births
Daphne is a girl's name of Greek origin meaning "laurel tree." In myth Daphne was a nymph who was turned into a laurel to escape Apollo, which is why the laurel became his sacred tree.
- Daphne is a name of Greek origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 1,740 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,905 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1886.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Daphne 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 | 26 |
| 1890s | 131 |
| 1900s | 162 |
| 1910s | 498 |
| 1920s | 1,057 |
| 1930s | 764 |
| 1940s | 1,321 |
| 1950s | 2,789 |
| 1960s | 6,940 |
| 1970s | 4,827 |
| 1980s | 2,699 |
| 1990s | 2,519 |
| 2000s | 5,126 |
| 2010s | 7,768 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 7,562 |
What Daphne means
Daphne means laurel, or bay tree. The Greek word is the plant itself, and the mythological story explains why that plant carried the associations of victory and poetry it did.
Where Daphne comes from
Daphne is the Greek daphne, the laurel or bay tree, and the word is pre-Greek — borrowed from an earlier Mediterranean language rather than built from Greek roots. In Ovid's telling, the nymph Daphne prayed to be saved from Apollo's pursuit and was transformed into a laurel; Apollo then took the laurel as his own, which is why victors and poets were crowned with laurel wreaths and why we still speak of resting on one's laurels. Daphne du Maurier, born 1907, is the name's best-known modern bearer.
Daphne in use
Our data shows Daphne peaking in 2025 — still climbing — and first appearing in our records in 1886. Its revival is part of the same wave returning Ophelia, Beatrice and Aurelia to use: long classical names that spent most of the twentieth century out of fashion.
How popular is Daphne?
In 2025, Daphne was given to 1,740 babies in the United States, ranking #178 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Daphne 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.
How Daphne is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Daphné | Daphné is Daphne written with an acute accent in France, and the spelling parents there overwhelmingly choose: it ranks #259 in France, against #6,694 for Daphne. | 9,830 |
Names that peaked alongside Daphne
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Daphne also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Daphne over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Daphne
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Daphne 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 Daphne
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Daphne — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Daphne
What does the name Daphne mean?
Daphne means "laurel tree," from the Greek daphne.
What is the myth of Daphne?
A nymph who prayed to escape Apollo's pursuit and was turned into a laurel. Apollo took the laurel as his sacred tree.
Why were victors crowned with laurel?
Because the laurel was Apollo's tree after Daphne's transformation — which is also why we speak of resting on one's laurels.
How popular is the name Daphne?
In 2025, Daphne was given to 1,740 babies in the United States, ranking #178 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Daphne a girl's or a boy's name?
Daphne is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Daphne?
Daphne has 2 syllables.
When was Daphne most popular?
Daphne peaked in 2025, when 1,740 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Daphne?
Daphne is usually shortened to Daffy.
Is Daphne a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Daphne currently ranks #125 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.