The name Daphne is derived from the ancient Greek word daphne, meaning "laurel tree". It originated in Greek mythology, where Daphne was a beautiful naiad who transformed into a laurel tree to escape the pursuit of the god Apollo. The story is recounted in Ovid's Metamorphoses, written in the 1st century AD.

In ancient Greece, the laurel tree was considered sacred and symbols of victory were fashioned from its branches and leaves. The name Daphne was a popular choice among the Greeks, who associated it with concepts of beauty, purity, and triumph. It gradually spread throughout the ancient Mediterranean world as the Greeks established colonies and cultural influence.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Daphne was a Sicilian Greek woman who lived in the 5th century BC. She was a priestess of the goddess Demeter and her name is inscribed on a marble tablet discovered in Syracuse, Sicily. Another early bearer was Daphne of Ephesus, a Greek poet who lived in the 3rd century BC and authored works on agriculture and beekeeping.

During the Middle Ages, the name fell out of common use in Europe but experienced a revival in the Renaissance era, when interest in classical Greek and Roman culture resurged. Daphne du Maurier, the renowned English author best known for her novels "Rebecca" and "The Birds", was born in 1907 and helped popularize the name in the 20th century.

Other notable individuals named Daphne include Daphne Oram (1925-2003), a pioneering British electronic music composer, and Daphne Sheldrick (1934-2018), a Kenyan conservationist and expert in raising orphaned elephants. Daphne Akhurst (1904-1933) was an Australian tennis player who won five Grand Slam singles titles in the 1920s.