Damain
A masculine name derived from the Greek name "Damian" meaning "to tame or subdue".
Name Census estimates that about 353 living Americans carry the first name Damain. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Damain today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Damain births was 1977 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Damain. 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.
People living today
353
~ 1 in 970,975 Americans
Peak year
1977
17 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
2016 SSA rank
#12,602
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Damain: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Damain from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 89 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Damain remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Damain 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 Damain during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Damains live
Origin
Meaning and history of Damain
The name Damain has its origins in the ancient Celtic language, tracing back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old Irish words "damh" meaning "ox" or "stag," and "an" meaning "little," effectively translating to "little stag" or "little ox."
This name was particularly prevalent among the Gaelic-speaking populations of Ireland and Scotland, where it was often associated with strength, power, and resilience, qualities embodied by these majestic animals. The name's popularity spread throughout the British Isles during the Middle Ages, with various spellings such as Daman, Damian, and Damien emerging over time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this name dates back to the 6th century, when Saint Damian, a physician and martyr, was venerated in the Christian tradition. He and his brother, Saint Cosmas, were renowned for their skill in medicine and their unwavering devotion to their faith, ultimately sacrificing their lives for their beliefs.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Damain. In the 8th century, Damain mac Fhailbhe was a prominent Irish poet and scholar, renowned for his contributions to the preservation of ancient Gaelic literature. Later, in the 12th century, Damain de Leinster was a powerful Anglo-Norman lord who played a significant role in the Norman invasion of Ireland.
During the Renaissance, the name gained further prominence with figures like Damain de Goes, a 16th-century Portuguese humanist and explorer, who documented his travels to Ethiopia and the Middle East. In the 18th century, Damain Hirst, an English painter and engraver, gained recognition for his portraits of notable figures of the time.
Another notable bearer of this name was Damain Runyon, an American writer and journalist born in 1880, whose short stories and novels captured the vibrant spirit of New York City in the early 20th century. His works, such as "Guys and Dolls," have left a lasting impact on American literature and popular culture.
These are just a few examples of the rich history and cultural significance associated with the name Damain, a name that has transcended time and geography, reflecting the strength, resilience, and enduring legacy of its bearers.
People
Damain + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Damain 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
Damain: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Damain?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 353 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Damain 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 970,975 US residents.
Is Damain a common name?
We classify Damain as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 366 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Damain most popular?
The single biggest year for Damain was 1977, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Damain is about 34 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Damain a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Damain 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.
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.