Darice
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from Greek meaning "gift".
Name Census estimates that about 1,123 living Americans carry the first name Darice. It is a predominantly female name (99.0% of registrations). The average person named Darice today is around 54 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Darice births was 1955 (52 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Darice. 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
1.1K
~ 1 in 305,213 Americans
Peak year
1955
52 babies that year
Average age
54
years old
1994 SSA rank
#4,209
Tracked since 1947
Gender
Gender distribution for Darice
Out of the 1,346 babies given the name Darice since 1880, 99.0% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Darice as a male name
- Ranked #7,116 in 1994
- 7 male births in 1994
- Peak: 1994 (7 births)
Darice as a female name
- Ranked #4,209 in 2023
- 34 female births in 2023
- Peak: 1955 (52 births)
Popularity
Darice: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Darice from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 368 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Darice 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 Darice during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Darices live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. Illinois, California, New York recorded the most babies named Darice, while Texas, Hawaii, Minnesota recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 26 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Darice
The name Darice is believed to have its origins in the ancient Persian language. It is derived from the Old Persian word "dārā," which means "possessor" or "holder." The name was popular among the ancient Persians, particularly during the Achaemenid Empire, which ruled from 550 BC to 330 BC.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Darice can be found in the Behistun Inscription, a multi-lingual inscription carved on the sacred mountain of Behistun in present-day Iran. The inscription, dating back to around 520 BC, was commissioned by King Darius the Great and mentions several individuals with the name Darice.
Throughout ancient Persian history, the name Darice was borne by several notable figures. One such individual was Darice, the daughter of King Darius I and Queen Atossa. She was married to her brother Xerxes I, who succeeded their father as the king of the Achaemenid Empire.
In the realm of Greek mythology, there is a reference to a figure named Darice, who was a nymph associated with the goddess Artemis. This connection to Greek mythology suggests that the name may have been adopted by the ancient Greeks and used within their cultures as well.
During the medieval period, the name Darice appeared in various Persian literary works and historical accounts. One notable example is the epic poem "Shahnameh" (Book of Kings) by the renowned Persian poet Ferdowsi, which includes characters bearing the name Darice.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Darice. One such person was Darice of Persia (c. 550 BC - 490 BC), a Persian princess and daughter of King Cyrus the Great. Another was Darice of Parthia (c. 50 BC - 10 AD), a Parthian princess and member of the Arsacid dynasty.
In the realm of literature, one of the most famous figures with the name Darice was the Persian poet Darice Kermani (1292 - 1354 AD), known for her contributions to the literary tradition of medieval Persia.
Other notable individuals with the name Darice include Darice Armanazi (1720 - 1783), an Armenian writer and philosopher, and Darice Mirkhond (1445 - 1498), a Persian historian and author of the influential work "Rawzat al-Safa."
People
Darice + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Darice 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
Darice: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Darice?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,123 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Darice 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 305,213 US residents.
Is Darice a common name?
We classify Darice as "Rare". It ranks above 90.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,346 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Darice most popular?
The single biggest year for Darice was 1955, when 52 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Darice is about 54 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Darice a female name?
Yes, 99.0% of people registered as Darice 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.