Daryan
Of Persian origin, connoting a great river or stream.
Name Census estimates that about 811 living Americans carry the first name Daryan. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 68.5% of registrations being male. The average person named Daryan today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Daryan births was 1994 (52 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Daryan. 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
811
~ 1 in 422,632 Americans
Peak year
1994
52 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,723
Tracked since 1987
Gender
Gender distribution for Daryan
Daryan is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 825 total registrations, 565 (68.5%) were male and 260 (31.5%) were female.
Daryan as a male name
- Ranked #4,723 in 2024
- 21 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2010 (31 births)
Daryan as a female name
- Ranked #12,889 in 2008
- 8 female births in 2008
- Peak: 1994 (38 births)
Popularity
Daryan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Daryan from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 303 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Daryan 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 Daryan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Daryans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Daryan, while New York, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 16 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Daryan
The name Daryan is believed to have its origins in the Persian language, with roots dating back to ancient Persia (modern-day Iran) and the surrounding regions. The name is derived from the Persian word "darya," which means "sea" or "ocean." It is thought to have been initially used as a descriptive term or a surname, perhaps referring to someone who lived near the sea or had a connection to maritime activities.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Daryan 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 literary masterpiece, the name appears as a character, though it is uncertain whether it was used as a given name at that time or solely as a descriptive term.
Throughout the centuries, the name Daryan has been carried by various individuals, though its popularity has varied across different regions and time periods. One notable historical figure who bore this name was Daryan Khan, a Persian military commander and governor who lived during the 16th century. He played a significant role in the campaigns of Shah Tahmasp I, the ruler of the Safavid dynasty.
Another prominent individual with the name Daryan was Daryan Singh, a Sikh warrior and military leader who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He fought alongside the famous Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh and earned a reputation for his bravery and military prowess.
In the realm of literature, Daryan Sahni was an Indian writer and academic who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Indian history and archaeology. He was born in 1888 and published several influential works, including "An Introduction to the Study of Indian History" and "Archaeological Remains and Excavations atSamadhi."
Moving forward in time, Daryan Devi was a renowned Indian classical dancer and choreographer, born in 1920. She was instrumental in reviving and promoting the Odissi dance form, a classical Indian dance style originating from the state of Odisha. Her contributions to the preservation and promotion of Indian cultural heritage were widely recognized.
While the name Daryan has its roots in the Persian language and culture, it has been adopted and used across various regions and communities throughout history. Its connection to the sea and maritime themes has likely contributed to its enduring appeal and usage over the centuries.
People
Daryan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Daryan 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
Daryan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Daryan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 811 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Daryan 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 422,632 US residents.
Is Daryan a common name?
We classify Daryan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 825 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Daryan most popular?
The single biggest year for Daryan was 1994, when 52 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Daryan is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Daryan a male name?
Yes, 68.5% of people registered as Daryan 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.