Popular Girl Names That Start With D Throughout History
This guide walks through 150+ girl names that start with D, grouped by era from ancient Rome to today's U.S. favorites. Whether you love the Biblical weight of Deborah or the modern sparkle of Dakota, there's a D name here for you.
Updated September 7, 2026
AI Summary
D is one of the most flexible letters for a girl's name. It's given us Biblical prophets, Roman goddesses, Victorian nicknames, and a bunch of today's biggest baby name chart-toppers. A lot of D names circle back to the same handful of ideas too, things like gentleness, devotion, and gift-giving. Diana, Dorothy, and Delilah have each had their moment, and each one comes from a totally different century. That's part of what makes this letter fun to dig into.
Below, you'll find D names sorted by era, so you can see how a name changes shape over time. Every name here comes with its meaning, so you're not just picking something because it sounds nice.
» Still at the very beginning of the process? Our guide to choosing a baby name can help you narrow things down.
Ancient Origins (c. 800 BCE–500 CE)
Some of the earliest D names come from scripture, Greek and Roman mythology, and noble Roman families. A few, like Deborah and Delilah, are still common today.
Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
Daciana | From the Roman province of Dacia |
Damaris | New Testament, "gentle" |
Damayanti | Sanskrit, "subduing"; princess in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata |
Damiana | Greek and Latin, related to "to tame" |
Danae | Greek mythology, mother of Perseus by Zeus |
Daphne | Greek, "laurel tree" |
Daria | Persian origin, "wealthy" |
Deborah | Hebrew, "bee," Biblical prophetess |
Decima | Ancient Roman, "tenth" |
Deianira | Greek mythology, wife of Heracles |
Delia | Greek, "from Delos" |
Delilah | Biblical, "delicate" |
Demeter | Greek goddess of the harvest |
Demetra | Feminine form tied to Demeter |
Demetria | Feminine form of Demetrius |
Demi | Greek, "half" |
Despina | Greek, "lady, mistress" |
Devi | Sanskrit, "goddess" |
Diana | Roman goddess of the hunt |
Diantha | Greek, "divine flower" |
Dido | Legendary queen of Carthage |
Dinah | Biblical, "judged" |
Dione | Greek Titaness, mother of Aphrodite |
Dionysia | Devoted to the god Dionysus |
Domina | Latin, "lady" |
Domitia | Roman family name |
Domitilla | Roman noble name, early Christian martyr |
Domnina | Early Christian saint's name |
Dorcas | Biblical, "gazelle" |
Dorothea | Greek, "gift of God" |
Drusilla | Roman family name |
Medieval and Renaissance (500–1600)
Saints, queens, and noblewomen shaped many D names during these centuries. Plenty of devotional names entered use through the church too, and a few Old Norse names made their way in through medieval Scandinavia.
Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
Dafne | Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of Daphne |
Dagmar | Old Norse, "day" and "maid"; borne by a 13th-century Danish queen |
Dagmara | Polish form of Dagmar |
Dagny | Old Norse, "day" and "new" |
Daireann | Irish, borne by a daughter of a legendary high king |
Damarice | French-influenced elaboration of Damaris |
Damaris | Continued Biblical use in the Middle Ages |
Dearbhail | Old Irish, "daughter of Fal" |
Delphina | Late Roman, "of Delphi"; a 14th-century Provencal nun |
Desiderata | Late Roman, feminine form of Desideratus, "desired" |
Diamanta | Greek, "diamond" |
Dianora | Italian variant of Diana |
Digna | Spanish, "worthy" |
Dionisia | Spanish and Italian form tied to Dionysus |
Dionysia | Devotional name honoring Dionysus |
Dolores | Spanish, "sorrows" |
Domenica | Italian, "of the Lord" |
Domenika | Slavic form of Dominica |
Dominica | Latin, "belonging to the Lord" |
Domitilla | Christian martyr's name |
Donata | Italian, "given" |
Doralice | Italian literary name from the poets Boiardo and Ariosto, "gift of the dawn" |
Dorota | Polish form of Dorothy |
Dorotea | Medieval form of Dorothy |
Doroteia | Portuguese form of Dorothy |
Douceline | French mystic saint's name |
Dulcie | Latin-rooted, "sweet" |
Dulcinea | "Sweetness," Cervantes' heroine in Don Quixote |
Dunja | Slavic, "to dream" |
Dymphna | Irish saint, patroness of the mentally ill |
» Like names with this kind of vintage, storybook appeal? Our piece on vintage and celestial baby names digs into more names from this general era.
The Diana Effect: One Name, Many Centuries
Few D names show staying power quite like Diana. She starts our list as a Roman goddess of the hunt, resurfaces in the Renaissance as Dianora, and settles into steady, unshowy use through the early 1900s. Then she spikes again whenever a real-life Diana grabs public attention, most famously Diana, Princess of Wales, in the 1980s.
Each revival nudges a slightly different form back into circulation. That's what makes D such a rich letter to explore, since a handful of root names, like Diana, Dorothea, and Damaris, keep generating new forms century after century instead of fading out for good.
Victorian and Early Modern (1800s–early 1900s)
Literature, piety, and romantic novels drove many of the D names in this era. Several nicknames from this period, like Dolly and Dottie, are still around today.
Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
Daisie | Vintage spelling of Daisy |
Dalma | Hungarian, created by a poet in 1825, used for female characters by later writers |
Daphne | Classical name, Victorian revival |
Darcy | English literary surname turned first name |
Daria | Revival of the ancient Persian name |
Darina | Slavic name, popular in the 1800s |
Deborah | Continued Biblical use |
Delilah | Biblical name, period use |
Della | Popular short form in the 19th century |
Delphia | English, used in a 1647 play, rare through the 1800s |
Delphine | French, "from Delphi" |
Desdemona | Shakespearean heroine, from Othello (1603) |
Diamond | Gemstone name |
Dianella | Botanical name, inspired by the flower |
Dianora | Italian form of Diana |
Diantha | Greek, "divine flower" |
Dinah | Biblical revival |
Dolly | Nickname for Dorothy |
Domenica | Italian Catholic name |
Donna | Italian, "lady" |
Dora | Short form of Dorothy |
Dorcas | Biblical revival |
Doreen | English, from an Irish root name related to Dora |
Dorice | Variant of Doris |
Dorinda | Literary name, popular in the 1800s |
Doris | Greek, "Dorian woman" |
Dorise | Variant spelling of Doris |
Dorita | Spanish diminutive of Dora |
Dorota | Slavic form of Dorothy |
Dorotea | European form of Dorothy |
Dorothea | Greek, "gift of God" |
Dorothy | English form, hugely popular by 1900 |
Dorothée | French form of Dorothea |
Dottie | Nickname for Dorothy |
Dove | Symbolic Victorian virtue name |
Dulcie | Latin-rooted, "sweet" |
Dulcinea | Cervantes' heroine, "sweetness" |
Modern Favorites (20th–21st Century)
D names remain popular on U.S. baby name charts today, blending Biblical, floral, and pop-culture influences, along with a growing list of international forms.
Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
Dahlia | Named for the flower |
Daisy | English, floral name |
Dakota | Native American place name, unisex |
Dalia | Hebrew and Spanish origin, "branch" |
Dalida | Biblical Greek form of Delilah; also a famous 20th-century singer |
Dalilah | Arabic-influenced variant, pronounced differently than Delilah |
Dallas | Place name turned first name |
Damira | Croatian, feminine form of Damir |
Dana | Hebrew origin, "God is my judge" |
Danguole | Lithuanian, "sky, heaven" |
Danica | Slavic, "morning star" |
Daniela | Feminine form of Daniel |
Danielle | Feminine French form of Daniel |
Danni | Short form of Danielle |
Daphne | Greek, "laurel tree," modern revival |
Darcie | Playful spelling of Darcy |
Daria | Persian origin, modern revival |
Darla | American coinage, "beloved" |
Dasha | Russian diminutive of Darya |
Davina | Scottish feminine form of David |
Davinia | English and Spanish elaboration of Davina |
Dawn | English, from the word for daybreak |
Daya | Sanskrit, "compassion" |
Dayana | Latin American form of Diana |
Modern Favorites List Continued…
Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
Dayanara | Spanish elaboration of Dayana |
Deanna | English, variant of Diana or feminine of Dean |
Debbie | Nickname for Deborah |
Debra | English variant of Deborah |
Deja | French-influenced, "already" |
Delaney | From an English and Irish surname |
Delilah | Biblical name, current U.S. chart favorite |
Delta | From the Greek letter, also a river-mouth landform |
Delyth | Welsh, a recently created elaboration meaning "pretty" |
Demelza | Cornish place name, popularized by the 1970s show Poldark |
Demi | Greek, "half" |
Denise | French feminine form of Denis |
Deniz | Turkish, "sea" |
Deryn | Welsh, related to "bird" |
Desiree | French, "desired" |
Destiny | English virtue name |
Deyanira | Greek mythology, related to Deianira |
Diana | Roman goddess of the hunt, modern classic |
Diane | French form of Diana |
Dina | Short form related to Dinah |
Dionne | French-influenced form, popularized by singer Dionne Warwick |
Dior | Modern fashion-inspired name |
Dixie | American place-associated name |
Dominique | French, "belonging to the Lord" |
Donna | Italian, "lady" |
Dorina | Romanian and Hungarian, related to "gift" |
Dove | Symbolic modern name |
Dream | English word name |
Common Nicknames for D Names
A handful of D names have picked up an unusual number of nicknames over the years. Dorothy alone gives you Dora, Dot, Dottie, and Dolly. Delilah shortens to Lila or Dela, and Danielle often becomes Danni or Elle.
If you like the formality of a longer D name but want something shorter for every day, that's usually easy to find here. Just double-check the nickname doesn't clash with a sibling's name or one already in the family.
» Haven't found the right one yet? Explore popular girl names that start with E next.
D Names: A Legacy That Keeps Evolving
D names carry a mix of devotion, grace, and reinvention across every century on this list. What stands out isn't the sheer number of options so much as how often the same handful of roots, things like gift, beloved, and gentle, keep resurfacing in new forms. That pattern of reinvention doesn't look like it's slowing down anytime soon.
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FAQs
What are the oldest or most traditional girl names starting with D?
Deborah, Dinah, and Delilah are among the oldest, taken straight from the Bible. Mythological names like Daphne and Dione come from Greek and Roman tradition around the same time. Many of these have stayed in continuous use for well over a thousand years.
What are the most popular D names for girls in the U.S. right now?
Delilah, Daisy, Diana, Daniela, and Dahlia are all common D names for American girls today. Exact current rankings shift year to year, so check the SSA's baby name data for the latest numbers.
Is Diana still a popular baby name today?
Yes, though how popular it is shifts with public attention over the decades. It's a steady, well-used classic rather than a chart-topper right now.
What are some cute nicknames for D names?
Dorothy shortens to Dora, Dot, Dottie, or Dolly. Delilah becomes Lila or Dela. Danielle is often shortened to Danni or Elle, and Daphne sometimes goes by Daph.
What does the name Delilah mean?
Delilah is a Biblical name generally translated as "delicate." In the Bible, she's known for her relationship with Samson, and the name carries a long, complicated history despite its gentle meaning.
