Daphine
A feminine name derived from the Greek word for laurel.
Name Census estimates that about 801 living Americans carry the first name Daphine. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Daphine today is around 58 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Daphine births was 1962 (49 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Daphine. 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
801
~ 1 in 427,908 Americans
Peak year
1962
49 babies that year
Average age
58
years old
2010 SSA rank
#17,662
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Daphine: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Daphine from the 1910s through to the 2010s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 293 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Daphine 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 Daphine during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Daphines live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. North Carolina, Texas, Alabama recorded the most babies named Daphine, while South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 26 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Daphine
The name Daphine has its origins in ancient Greek mythology and language. It is derived from the Greek word "daphne," which means laurel or bay tree. The laurel tree was sacred to the Greek god Apollo and held significant symbolism in ancient Greek culture.
In Greek mythology, Daphne was a beautiful Naiad nymph who was pursued by Apollo. To escape his advances, she pleaded with the gods for help, and they transformed her into a laurel tree. This myth is often interpreted as a symbolic representation of the enduring nature of poetry and art, as the laurel became a symbol of poetic achievement and was used to crown victors in various competitions.
The name Daphine first appeared in written records during the classical period of ancient Greece. It was a popular name among the Greeks and was later adopted by the Romans, who spelled it as "Daphne." The earliest recorded example of the name Daphine can be found in the works of ancient Greek poets and playwrights, such as Ovid's "Metamorphoses," where the myth of Daphne is recounted.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Daphine or its variations. One of the most famous was Daphne, a 4th-century Christian martyr from Antioch who was tortured and killed for her faith. Another notable Daphne was Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989), a renowned British novelist and playwright best known for her works like "Rebecca" and "The Birds."
In the literary world, Daphine Merkin (born 1954) is an American novelist and critic who has written extensively on topics such as feminism and mental health. Daphine Bugey-Vereint (born 1942) is a Swiss politician and environmentalist who served as a member of the Swiss National Council.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Daphine in English literature can be found in John Milton's epic poem "Paradise Lost," where he mentions the "daphne" tree in reference to the Greek myth.
While the name Daphine has Greek origins, it has been embraced and adapted by various cultures throughout history, reflecting the enduring appeal of its mythological roots and symbolic association with poetry, art, and nature.
People
Daphine + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Daphine 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
Daphine: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Daphine?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 801 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Daphine 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 427,908 US residents.
Is Daphine a common name?
We classify Daphine as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,496 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Daphine most popular?
The single biggest year for Daphine was 1962, when 49 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Daphine is about 58 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Daphine a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Daphine 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.