Dafne
A feminine name of Greek origin derived from the laurel tree.
Name Census estimates that about 3,246 living Americans carry the first name Dafne. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Dafne today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dafne births was 2024 (307 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dafne. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Dafne is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 14 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
3.2K
~ 1 in 105,593 Americans
Peak year
2024
307 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#876
Tracked since 1988
Popularity
Dafne: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dafne from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 1,201 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Dafne remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dafne by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Dafne during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dafnes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 21 states and territories. Texas, California, New York recorded the most babies named Dafne, while Pennsylvania, Oregon, Massachusetts recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 109 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dafne
The name Dafne has its origins in ancient Greek mythology and culture. It is the modern English spelling of the Greek name Daphne, derived from the Greek word "daphne" meaning laurel tree or bay tree. The laurel tree held great significance in ancient Greece, as its leaves were used to make crowns for victors, poets, and scholars.
In Greek mythology, Daphne was a beautiful Naiad nymph who was pursued by the god Apollo. To escape his advances, she transformed herself into a laurel tree with the help of her father, the river god Peneus. This myth likely contributed to the association of the name with the laurel tree and its symbolism of purity, victory, and honor.
The name Dafne can be traced back to ancient Greek texts and literature, such as the works of Ovid and other classical authors who recounted the myth of Daphne and Apollo. It was a popular name among the ancient Greeks, particularly in regions like Athens and Sparta.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Dafne was Daphne of Locri, a Greek philosopher and Pythagorean who lived in the 5th century BC. She was known for her writings on ethics and virtue.
In the 1st century AD, there was a famous Roman woman named Daphne, who was the daughter of a wealthy nobleman and a patron of the arts. She was known for her beauty and intelligence.
During the Middle Ages, the name Dafne was less common but still used in certain parts of Europe. One notable figure was Dafne Acciaioli, an Italian noblewoman who lived in the 14th century and was known for her charitable works and patronage of the arts.
In the Renaissance, the name experienced a resurgence in popularity, likely due to the renewed interest in classical Greek and Roman culture. One famous bearer of the name was Dafne Vignola, an Italian painter and artist who lived in the 16th century and was known for her portraits and religious paintings.
Another notable figure was Daphne du Maurier, a British novelist and playwright who lived from 1907 to 1989. She was the author of several famous works, including the novel "Rebecca" and the short story "The Birds."
People
Dafne + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dafne as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Dafne: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dafne?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,246 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dafne going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 105,593 US residents.
Is Dafne a common name?
We classify Dafne as "Rare". It ranks above 95.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,284 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dafne most popular?
The single biggest year for Dafne was 2024, when 307 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dafne is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dafne a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dafne in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.