35 Baby Names That Start With Letter "D" (2024)

  • Pregnancy
  • Baby Names

Learn the meaning and origins of popular baby names that start with "D."

ByHedy Phillips

Updated on August 16, 2023

Fact checked byMarley Hall

35 Baby Names That Start With Letter "D" (1)

Choosing a baby name is a process that many families put a lot of thought and love into. For some families, names are handed down through generations. For other families, names are inspired by popular books and movies. And for some families, baby names have no rhyme or reason—they're just names that parents like.

If you're on the hunt for a baby name that starts with a particular letter, say the letter "D," there are so many names to choose from, both popular and unique. Maybe you want a beloved vintage name like Dorothy that was given to many baby girls in the early 1900s. Or maybe you want a trendier name like Delilah, which seems to get more popular each year. Whatever the case, there's a "D" name to suit your family.

70 Summer Baby Names That Are Hot All Year Round

Daisy

  • Origin:American
  • Meaning: Daisy flower
  • Famous Namesakes: Actresses Daisy Ridley and Daisy Fuentes
  • Peak Popularity: Daisy is an old-fashioned name that was popular in the early 1900s. However, it's becoming more and more popular these days.

Dakota

  • Origin:Native American
  • Meaning: The allies
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Cody, Kody
  • Famous Namesakes: Actresses Dakota Johnson and Dakota Fanning
  • Peak Popularity: Dakota's biggest year was 2006.

Damon

  • Origin:Greek
  • Meaning: Subdue
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Daymond, Daymon
  • Famous Namesakes: Actor Damon Wayans
  • Peak Popularity: Damon had a hot streak of popularity in the late 1970s.

Dana

  • Origin:American
  • Meaning: From Denmark
  • Famous Namesakes: Comedians Dana Carvey and Dana Gould
  • Peak Popularity: Dana was a popular name in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

Danae

  • Origin:Greek
  • Meaning: She who judges
  • Peak Popularity: Danae's most popular year was 1991.

Dane

  • Origin:Scandinavian
  • Meaning: God is my judge
  • Famous Namesakes: Comedian Dane Cook
  • Peak Popularity: The most popular year for the name Dane was 1986.

Daniel

  • Origin:Hebrew
  • Meaning: God is my judge
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Dan, Danny
  • Famous Namesakes: Daniel is a popular name shared by celebrities like actors Daniel Craig, Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Kaluuya, and Daniel Dae Kim.
  • Peak Popularity: Daniel has been in the top-50 names for boys since 1921, though it's never made No. 1.

Danielle

  • Origin:Hebrew
  • Meaning: God is my judge
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Danyel, Dani, Daniella, Daniela
  • Famous Namesakes: Actresses Danielle Fishel and Danielle Brookes and musician Danielle Haim
  • Peak Popularity: Danielle was popular in the 1980s and 1990s.

Dante

  • Origin:Latin
  • Meaning: Everlasting
  • Famous Namesakes: The Italian poet Dante is probably the most well-known person with this name.
  • Peak Popularity: Dante's biggest year was 1997.

Daphne

  • Origin:Greek
  • Meaning: Laurel tree
  • Famous Namesakes: Novelist Daphne du Maurier and actress Daphne Zuniga
  • Peak Popularity: The best year for the name Daphne was 1962.

Darla

  • Origin:English
  • Meaning: Dear, loved one
  • Peak Popularity: Darla was popular in the 1960s but has since fallen off.

Daryl

  • Origin:English
  • Meaning: Person from Airelle, France
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Darrell
  • Famous Namesakes: Musician Daryl Hall and actress Daryl Hannah
  • Peak Popularity: Daryl's biggest year was 1970 when it reached No. 161 on the Social Security Administration list of baby names, but Darrell's biggest year was 1968, when it peaked at No. 86.

David

  • Origin:Hebrew
  • Meaning: Beloved
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Dave
  • Famous Namesakes: Many people have the name David, like actors David Boreanaz and David Duchovny and musicians David Bowie and Dave Grohl
  • Peak Popularity: Though David has long been a popular name, it only reached No. 1 one year—in 1960.

Deandre

  • Origin:American
  • Meaning: Manly
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Dee, Andre
  • Famous Namesakes: Musician Soulja Boy's real name is DeAndre
  • Peak Popularity: Deandre's biggest year was 1995.

Deangelo

  • Origin:Italian
  • Meaning: Of the angels
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Dee, Angelo
  • Peak Popularity: The biggest year for the name Deangelo was 1989.

Declan

  • Origin:Irish
  • Meaning: Full of goodness
  • Famous Namesakes: British musician and actor Declan Bennett
  • Peak Popularity: Declan peaked at No. 95 in 2019.

Delilah

  • Origin:Hebrew
  • Meaning: Delicate
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Lilah, Lila
  • Famous Namesakes: One of the most well-known uses of the name Delilah is in the Plain White T's song "Hey There, Delilah."
  • Peak Popularity: Delilah has grown in popularity, and its biggest year was 2020.

Della

  • Origin:English
  • Meaning: Of the nobility
  • Peak Popularity: Della is a retro name that was popular in the early 1900s.

Derek

  • Origin:English
  • Meaning: People ruler
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Derik, Derrik, Derrick
  • Famous Namesakes: Former MLB player Derek Jeter and dancer Derek Hough
  • Peak Popularity: Derek was a popular name in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

Desiree

  • Origin:French
  • Meaning: Desired
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Desi, Dee
  • Peak Popularity: Desiree's biggest year was 1983.

Desmond

  • Origin:Irish
  • Meaning: From South Munster
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Des
  • Famous Namesakes: Theologian Desmond Tutu is perhaps the most famous person with this name.
  • Peak Popularity: The best year for the name Desmond was 1992.

Dimitri

  • Origin:Slavic
  • Meaning: Devotee of Demeter
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: D'mitri, Demetri
  • Peak Popularity: Dimitri peaked in 1992.

Dina

  • Origin:Hebrew
  • Meaning: God has judged
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Deena, Dena, Dinah
  • Famous Namesakes: Singer Dinah Jane
  • Peak Popularity: Dina was popular in the 1960s.

Dixie

  • Origin:French
  • Meaning: From the south in the U.S.
  • Famous Namesakes: Actress Dixie Carter and influencer Dixie D'Amelio
  • Peak Popularity: Dixie was a popular name in the 1930s.

Dominic

  • Origin:Latin
  • Meaning: Of the Lord
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Dom, Dominick
  • Famous Namesakes: Actors Dominic West, Dominic Monaghan, and Dominic Purcell
  • Peak Popularity: Dominic has been a popular name in the 2000s.

Dominique

  • Origin:French
  • Meaning: Of God
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Dom
  • Famous Namesakes: Actress Dominique Swain and retired Olympic gymnasts Dominique Dawes and Dominique Moceanu
  • Peak Popularity: Dominique was a popular name in the early 1990s.

Donald

  • Origin:Scottish
  • Meaning: World leader
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Don
  • Famous Namesakes: Donald is a popular name shared by actors Donald Glover and Donald Sutherland, as well as musician Don Henley.
  • Peak Popularity: Donald was a popular name for baby boys in the 1920s and 1930s.

Donovan

  • Origin:Irish
  • Meaning: Little brown one
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Donavan, Don
  • Famous Namesakes: Retired NFL player Donovan McNabb
  • Peak Popularity: Donovan's biggest year was 2003.

Dorothy

  • Origin:Greek
  • Meaning: Gift of God
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Dorothee, Dot
  • Famous Namesakes: Actress Dorothy Dandridge and former skater Dorothy Hamill
  • Peak Popularity: Dorothy was in the top-10 names for baby girls born in 1905 through 1939.

Drake

  • Origin:English
  • Meaning: Dragon
  • Famous Namesakes: Singer Drake—whose real name is Aubrey—is the most famous person with this name.
  • Peak Popularity: Drake's most popular year was 2010.

Douglas

  • Origin:Scottish
  • Meaning: Black blue
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Doug
  • Famous Namesakes: Actors Doug Benson and Douglas Booth
  • Peak Popularity: Douglas was a popular name in the 1940s.

Duke

  • Origin:English
  • Meaning: Title of nobility
  • Famous Namesakes: Jazz musician Duke Ellington is perhaps the most famous Duke.
  • Peak Popularity: Duke peaked in 2018.

Duncan

  • Origin:Scottish
  • Meaning: Warrior
  • Peak Popularity: Duncan was a popular name in the late 1990s.

Dustin

  • Origin:English
  • Meaning: Thor's stone
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Dusty
  • Famous Namesakes: Actors Dustin Hoffman and Dustin Diamond
  • Peak Popularity: Dustin was a popular name for baby boys born in the 1970s and 1980s.

Dylan

  • Origin:Welsh
  • Meaning: Toward the tide
  • Alternative Spellings & Variations: Dillon
  • Famous Namesakes: Actors Dylan Minnette, Dylan McDermot, and Dylan Penn
  • Peak Popularity: Dylan has been in the top 50 of the most popular names for boys since 1991.

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  1. Social security administration.Popularity of name.

35 Baby Names That Start With Letter "D" (2024)

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