Find out how popular the first name Damian has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "to tame or subdue".
Based on the last 50 years of data, Damian is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Damian being male.
For the most recent data in 2023, there were 3,281 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Damian.
Year | Male Count | Female Count |
---|---|---|
2023 | 3,281 | 0 |
2022 | 3,445 | 0 |
2021 | 3,293 | 0 |
2020 | 3,335 | 0 |
2019 | 3,446 | 0 |
2018 | 3,548 | 7 |
2017 | 3,341 | 6 |
2016 | 3,345 | 0 |
2015 | 3,488 | 0 |
2014 | 3,879 | 6 |
2013 | 3,974 | 11 |
2012 | 3,859 | 0 |
2011 | 3,013 | 8 |
2010 | 3,363 | 7 |
2009 | 3,348 | 5 |
2008 | 3,077 | 0 |
2007 | 2,988 | 0 |
2006 | 2,976 | 6 |
2005 | 2,630 | 5 |
2004 | 2,529 | 8 |
2003 | 2,454 | 0 |
2002 | 2,345 | 5 |
2001 | 1,963 | 0 |
2000 | 1,720 | 0 |
1999 | 1,540 | 0 |
1998 | 1,567 | 9 |
1997 | 1,507 | 6 |
1996 | 1,408 | 5 |
1995 | 1,350 | 7 |
1994 | 1,349 | 9 |
1993 | 1,133 | 6 |
1992 | 1,087 | 6 |
1991 | 964 | 6 |
1990 | 782 | 8 |
1989 | 777 | 0 |
1988 | 620 | 6 |
1987 | 537 | 0 |
1986 | 514 | 7 |
1985 | 507 | 0 |
1984 | 540 | 8 |
1983 | 542 | 8 |
1982 | 583 | 0 |
1981 | 517 | 5 |
1980 | 584 | 10 |
1979 | 678 | 16 |
1978 | 847 | 7 |
1977 | 1,054 | 15 |
1976 | 994 | 12 |
1975 | 891 | 21 |
1974 | 829 | 22 |
The name Damian is derived from the Greek name Damianos, which itself comes from the Greek word "daman", meaning "to tame" or "subdue". It is thought to have originated in ancient Greece, possibly as early as the 5th century BC.
The name Damian was popular among early Christians, as it was borne by several early saints and martyrs. One of the most notable was Saint Damian of Pavia, a 7th century Italian bishop and patron saint of physicians. His feast day is September 26th.
Another early figure was Damian the Seer, a 5th century monk and soothsayer from Constantinople. According to legend, he predicted the death of the Byzantine Emperor Basiliscus in 476 AD.
The name continued to be used throughout medieval Europe, especially in regions with strong Greek cultural influences such as Italy and parts of France. One prominent bearer was Damian of Muncia, a 13th century Spanish Dominican friar and writer.
In the 16th century, the name gained some popularity in England due to the influence of the Renaissance and renewed interest in classical Greek culture. One early English bearer was Damian Phettiplace (c.1490-1544), a courtier in the service of King Henry VIII.
Other historically significant individuals named Damian include Damian Hartard von der Leyen (1624-1678), Prince-Bishop of Paderborn; Damian Hugo Philipp von Schönborn (1676-1743), Prince-Bishop of Constance; Damian Katzenberger (1846-1902), German Roman Catholic priest and founder of a religious order; and Damian Zimmerman (1858-1935), Swiss Roman Catholic prelate and missionary to China.
The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.
The history and meaning of the name Damian was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Damian, please contact us.
We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.
If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!
<a href="http://namecensus.com/first-names/damian-meaning-and-history/">Damian first name popularity, history and meaning</a>
"Damian first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 21, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/damian-meaning-and-history/.
"Damian first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/damian-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 21 November, 2024
Damian first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/damian-meaning-and-history/.
Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.
Simple as that.