Dary
A masculine Persian name meaning "wealthy" or "prosperous".
Name Census estimates that about 150 living Americans carry the first name Dary. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 85.7% of registrations being male. The average person named Dary today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dary births was 1987 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dary. 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
150
~ 1 in 2,285,029 Americans
Peak year
1987
13 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,176
Tracked since 1955
Gender
Gender distribution for Dary
Dary leans heavily male at 85.7% of total registrations, but 24 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Dary as a male name
- Ranked #12,692 in 2024
- 5 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1958 (9 births)
Dary as a female name
- Ranked #8,176 in 1987
- 8 female births in 1987
- Peak: 1987 (8 births)
Popularity
Dary: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dary from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 49 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
Dary 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 Dary during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dary
The given name Dary is believed to have originated from the Persian language, with roots tracing back to ancient Persia, now modern-day Iran. The name is thought to be derived from the Persian word "dar," which means "possessor" or "holder." This suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon individuals who held a significant position or possessed a particular trait or characteristic.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dary can be found in the ancient Persian epic poem, the Shahnameh, written by the renowned poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. In this epic, Dary is mentioned as a character, though specific details about their role or significance are limited.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Dary. One such individual was Dary I, a Persian king who ruled the Achaemenid Empire from 522 BC to 486 BC. He is renowned for his military conquests and for expanding the Persian Empire to its greatest extent, stretching from the Indus River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.
Another prominent figure with the name Dary was Dary II, who ruled the Achaemenid Empire from 423 BC to 404 BC. He is remembered for his efforts to rebuild and strengthen the empire after the devastating defeat of his predecessor, Xerxes I, in the Greco-Persian Wars.
In the realm of literature, Dary III was a Persian poet who lived during the 7th century AD. He is renowned for his contributions to the rich tradition of Persian poetry and is often cited as an influential figure in the development of the ghazal form.
Moving forward in history, Dary IV was a Persian scholar and philosopher who lived during the 11th century AD. He is best known for his writings on ethics, metaphysics, and the nature of existence, which heavily influenced the intellectual discourse of his time.
It is important to note that these are just a few examples of historical figures who bore the name Dary. The name's rich heritage and cultural significance have likely inspired countless others throughout the centuries, leaving an indelible mark on the annals of history.
People
Dary + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dary 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
Dary: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dary?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 150 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dary 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 2,285,029 US residents.
Is Dary a common name?
We classify Dary as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 168 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dary most popular?
The single biggest year for Dary was 1987, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dary is about 48 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dary a male name?
Yes, 85.7% of people registered as Dary 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.