Dairus
An anglicized variation of "Darius," a Persian name meaning "wealthy."
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Dairus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dairus today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dairus births was 1993 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dairus. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dairus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1993
6 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
1993 SSA rank
#7,817
Tracked since 1993
Popularity
Dairus: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Dairus 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 Dairus during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Dairus
The name Dairus has its roots in ancient Persia, originating from the Old Persian word "dārayavahuš," which means "who holds firm the good." This name was particularly prominent during the Achaemenid Empire, which ruled over a vast territory from 550 BCE to 330 BCE.
One of the most notable figures in history who bore this name was Darius the Great, also known as Darius I, who reigned as the king of the Achaemenid Empire from 522 BCE to 486 BCE. He is renowned for his administrative reforms, construction of roads and canals, and the expansion of the empire's territories.
The name Dairus can also be traced back to the Avestan language, an ancient Iranian language closely related to Old Persian. In Avestan, the name was rendered as "Dārayavauš," with a similar meaning of "holding firm the good."
Throughout history, several other notable individuals have carried the name Dairus. One such figure was Darius II, who ruled the Achaemenid Empire from 423 BCE to 404 BCE. Another was Darius III, the last king of the Achaemenid Empire, who reigned from 336 BCE until his defeat by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE.
The name Dairus also appears in ancient Greek texts, where it was rendered as "Dareios." This form of the name was used by Greek historians like Herodotus and Xenophon when referring to the Persian kings.
Moving forward in time, the name Dairus gained popularity in various cultures and regions. In the 6th century CE, a Byzantine emperor named Darius ruled over the Eastern Roman Empire. During the 18th century, Darius Codville, an English antiquarian and historian, made significant contributions to the study of ancient coins and inscriptions.
In more modern times, notable figures with the name Dairus include Darius Milhaud, a French composer and teacher who lived from 1892 to 1974, and Darius Rucker, an American singer and songwriter born in 1966, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Hootie & the Blowfish.
While the name Dairus has its roots in ancient Persia, it has been adopted and adapted by various cultures throughout history, showcasing its enduring appeal and significance across different eras and regions.
People
Dairus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dairus 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
Dairus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dairus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dairus 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Dairus a common name?
We classify Dairus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dairus most popular?
The single biggest year for Dairus was 1993, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dairus is about 32 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Dairus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dairus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dairus in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Dairus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dairus in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Dairus can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Dairus?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.