Girl names that start with D cover a lot of ground, from Bible-old Deborah to invented modern picks like Daleyza. Sorting them by feel is the hard part, so we did that first.
All 100 names below come with pronunciation, meaning, origin, notable bearers where they exist, and where the name stands in the U.S. today. Those popularity figures are the Social Security Administration’s own count, drawn from Social Security card applications filed at birth (1).
One note on the rare ones. A name has to be given to at least five American babies in a year to appear in that data at all, so several picks here are marked too rare to rank rather than handed a number.
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Dylan, Delilah, Daisy, Daphne and Dahlia.
100 Popular Female Names That Start with D
It’s time for the cutest girl names that start with D ahead.
Daffodil
Daffodil traces to the Dutch daffodil, a run-together of de affodil, meaning the asphodel. Old stories placed those blooms in the Elysian Fields, the paradise of Greek myth. As a name it is unapologetically cheerful, and it suits a family that likes flower names but has heard Lily and Rose one time too many.
- Origin: Greek, Dutch
- Meaning: Daffodil flower
- Pronunciation: DAEF-ow-Dihl
- Variations: Daffodill, Dafodil, Dafodyll
- Popularity: Daffodil is too rare for the U.S. federal name data, which only lists names given to at least five babies in a year.
Dagmar
Dagmar comes from the Old Norse Dagmær, composed of “dagr,” meaning “day,” and “mær,” meaning “daughter.” It spread from Scandinavia into Germany, Poland, and Switzerland, and real women who carried it include Olympic sailor Dagmar Salén and former Ohio first lady Dagmar Celeste. It peaked in the U.S. at #993 in 1915 and has been off the list since 2019.
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: Day maiden
- Pronunciation: DAAGH-Maar
- Variations: Dagmarr, Dagomar
- Namesakes: Dagmar Salén, the first Swedish woman to win an Olympic medal in sailing. Dagmar Celeste, the first lady of Ohio from 1983 to 1991.
- Popularity: Dagmar has been off the U.S. list since 2019, when it ranked #16,095; its best year was #993 in 1915.
Dahlia
Dahlia derives from the Swedish dal and reached us as Dahl’s flower, in honor of the botanist Anders Dahl. The bloom itself stands for union, which gives the name a steady, committed feeling under all that softness. It sounds like Delilah’s calmer sister, with the same long middle syllable and none of the biblical baggage. For parents who want a flower name that still reads grown up, this is the one.
- Origin: Swedish
- Meaning: Flower of the valley
- Pronunciation: DAHL-Yaa
- Variations: Dalia, Dahliah, Dahlya
- Namesakes: Dahlia Duhaney, a Jamaican sprinter who competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Dahlia Lithwick, a Canadian-American contributing editor at Newsweek.
- Popularity: Dahlia held #215 in the U.S. in 2025; it first turned up in the national data in 1890.
Daisy
Daisy comes from the Old English dægeseage, meaning day’s eye, for the way the petals open with the sun. It also served for generations as a pet form of Margaret, which is why it turns up on so many family trees under a formal name nobody used. As a common flower name it carries summer, porches, and long evening light. Short, bright, impossible to mispronounce. Daisy reached its best-ever U.S. rank, #75, in 2025, and it needs no nickname to soften it.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Day’s eye
- Pronunciation: DEY-Ziy
- Variations: Daisee, Daisie, Daisey
- Namesakes: Daisy de Peinder, a Dutch softball player with the Dutch national team. Daisy Cooper, a British Member of Parliament for St Albans since 2019.
- Popularity: Daisy reached #75 in the U.S. in 2025, its best position since it first charted in 1880. That puts it alongside Delilah as one of two girl names from this list inside the top 100, with unisex Dylan close by at #41 when both sexes are counted together.
Dakira
Dakira is made up of the Hebrew Kira, with a “Da-” prefix. It may have been Yakira in Hebrew, but it’s also related to the Celtic Ciara, meaning “little dark-haired one.” It reached its best U.S. ranking at #10,245 in 2008, then slid to #14,756 by 2016 and hasn’t reappeared since.
- Origin: Persian, Hebrew
- Meaning: Of light
- Pronunciation: Dey-KIY-rah
- Variations: Dakara
- Popularity: Dakira last appeared in the U.S. data at #14,756 in 2016, with its best showing at #10,245 in 2008.
Dakota
Dakota was the Sioux word for friendly one long before it was a first name. Both North Dakota and South Dakota carry it, so it arrives with big sky and open road attached. It reads modern without sounding invented, and it sits comfortably on a girl or a boy. Three syllables is still easy to call across a playground without ever reaching for a shorter form.
- Origin: Native American
- Meaning: Friend, ally
- Pronunciation: Dah-KOW-taa
- Variations: Dakkota, Dakotah
- Namesakes: Dakota Fanning, an American actress and the youngest SAG nominee in 2001 for I Am Sam. Dakota Lane, an American author, named a Best Book for Young Adults winner for Johnny Voodoo.
- Popularity: Dakota ranked #319 in the U.S. in 2025.
Dalett
Beyond its meaning, a dalet refers to the fourth letter of ancient Hebrew. It’s more commonly spelled Dalet, but even then, your Dalett should be the only one for miles.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Door
- Pronunciation: Dah-LEHT
- Variations: Dalet
- Popularity: Dalett sat at #3,591 in the U.S. in 2025, after a best showing of #1,277 in 2021.
Daleyza
Daleyza is a name coined outright rather than inherited, built from Delizia and Delicio, both tied to the idea of delightful. Mexican-American singer Larry Hernandez helped popularize it as a given name. It has the bounce of a Spanish name and the freedom of one with no centuries of expectation behind it. The made-up spelling settles into place fast once it is said out loud.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Delightful
- Pronunciation: Dah-LEY-Zaa
- Variations: Delizia
- Popularity: Daleyza held #538 in the U.S. in 2025; it first turned up in the national data in 2012.
Dallas
Dallas sounds thoroughly American, but it began as an English surname meaning valley house. Its Scottish reading, from the meadow dwelling, is gentler than the skyline the word calls to mind now. That double life, city and pasture, is most of the appeal. It suits a family that wants a place name without the sweetness of Savannah or Sienna.
- Origin: Celtic
- Meaning: Skilled
- Pronunciation: DAEL-Lihs
- Variations: Dallis, Dallus
- Namesakes: Bryce Dallas Howard, an American actress appearing in The Village (2004).
- Popularity: Dallas came in at #238 in the U.S. in 2025, roughly one girl in 1,157 born that year.
Damaris
Damaris is based on the Greek “damalis,” meaning “heifer.” It’s also associated with the Virgin Mary as “De Maris,” but refers to any strong, beautiful woman. Real Damarises include Peruvian folk singer Damaris Porras and Netherlands national team footballer Damaris Wienke, and the name still ranked #1,437 in the U.S. in 2025, down from its #603 peak in 2006.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Calm, strong
- Pronunciation: Dae-MAH-rihs
- Variations: Demaris, Demeris
- Namesakes: Damaris Wienke, an American footballer who plays for the Netherlands national team. Damaris Porras, a Peruvian folk singer of Andean music.
- Popularity: Damaris ranked #1,437 in the U.S. in 2025, a long way from its #603 peak in 2006.
Damiana
Damiana is the female equivalent of Damian, meaning “to tame” or “subdue.” It originally meant “domesticated” in Greek but offers a unique approach for girls in charge.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: One who tames
- Pronunciation: Dah-miy-AHN-ah
- Variations: Damianna, Damijana, Damyana
- Namesakes: Damiana Eugenio, a Filipino author, called the Mother of Philippine Folklore. Damiana Deiana, an Italian footballer with the Italy women’s national football team.
- Popularity: Damiana ranked #7,580 in the U.S. in 2025.
Dana
Dana means darling in English and Celtic use, and in Arabic it describes the most perfectly sized and valuable pearl. In Irish it simply means a Dane, the kind of plain geographic origin most short names turn out to have. One syllable of warmth, easy to spell anywhere, and it lands on girls far more often than boys.
- Origin: English, Celtic
- Meaning: Darling
- Pronunciation: DEY-Nah
- Variations: Daena, Danah, Daina
- Namesakes: Dana Tyler, an American news anchor at WCBS-TV in New York City. Dana Zátopková, a Czech javelin thrower and gold medalist at the 1952 Summer Olympics.
- Popularity: Dana sat at #1,027 in the U.S. in 2025, after a best showing of #44 in 1971.
Danica
Danica means morning star, and in Slavic mythology she was the star worshiped at daybreak, cast as the younger sister of the sun. The name also stands in for Venus, tying it to a specific moment of the day rather than a general virtue. It has the shape of Danielle without the decade attached.
- Origin: Slavic
- Meaning: Morning star
- Pronunciation: DAEN-iy-Kaa
- Variations: Danika
- Namesakes: Danica Patrick, an American racing driver and the most successful woman in American open-wheel car racing. Danica Thrall, an English model who placed in the top 10 in the 2006 Miss England pageant.
- Popularity: Danica held #1,634 in the U.S. in 2025; it first turned up in the national data in 1916.
Daniela
Daniela is the feminine form of Daniel, from the Hebrew daniy’el, meaning God is my judge. The single-L spelling travels easily through Italian, Spanish, and Slavic households, which is why it turns up on so many continents at once. It has the length of a formal name with a nickname already built in, since Dani is right there. Parents who find Danielle dated tend to land here instead.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: God is my judge
- Pronunciation: Daan-YEH-Laa
- Variations: Daniellah, Daniella
- Namesakes: Daniela Bianchi, an Italian actress appearing as a Bond girl in the 1963 movie From Russia with Love. Daniela Nicolai, a Romanian gymnast and winner of nine medals at the European championships.
- Popularity: Daniela came in at #302 in the U.S. in 2025, roughly one girl in 1,592 born that year.
Danuta
Danuta is a unique version of the Biblical male name Daniel. It’s popular in Poland and Lithuania, but Danuta is a top exotic choice for the baby girl you’re expecting.
- Origin: Polish, Hebrew
- Meaning: God has judged
- Pronunciation: Dah-NUW-taa
- Variations: Donata
- Namesakes: Danuta Kordaczuk-Wagner, a Polish volleyball player with the Poland women’s national volleyball team.
- Popularity: Danuta last appeared in the U.S. data at #13,940 in 1995, with its best showing at #4,226 in 1956.
Daphne
Daphne means laurel tree, also known as the bay tree. In Greek mythology she was the nymph Apollo pursued, though the name long ago outgrew the chase. It has the crisp, faintly arch sound English writers hand to their cleverest characters. Two syllables, no ambiguity about the spelling, and it carries a girl from toddler to professor without a single adjustment. At #178 in 2025 it is common enough to feel familiar without turning up in every classroom roster.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Laurel tree
- Pronunciation: DAEF-Niy
- Variations: Daphni, Daphney
- Namesakes: Daphne Zuniga, an American actress known for Rob Reiner’s The Sure Thing (1985). Daphne Arden, a British athlete and bronze medalist at the 1964 Summer Olympics.
- Popularity: Daphne ranked #178 in the U.S. in 2025.
Darby
Darby began as an English place surname built from the Old Norse djúr, meaning deer, and the suffix -býr, meaning settlement. A second reading gives it free from envy, which is an unusual thing for a name to promise. It has the bouncy ending of Ruby and Poppy on a sturdier frame. Good for parents who want tomboy energy without giving up softness.
- Origin: English, Irish
- Meaning: Deer park
- Pronunciation: DAAR-Biy
- Variations: Darbey, Darbi, Darbie
- Namesakes: Darby Gould, an American vocalist with Jefferson Starship. Darby Dunn, an American journalist, and anchor of CNBC’s News Now.
- Popularity: Darby sat at #2,564 in the U.S. in 2025, after a best showing of #499 in 1995.
Darla
Darla is a short form of Darlene, meaning “dearly beloved.” It first appeared in the 1920s and has the rounded, unfussy sound of names from that era. It works as a first name or a middle, and it does not shrink any further, which some parents count as a feature. There is a mid-century warmth here that newer D names have to work much harder for.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Little one, darling
- Pronunciation: DAAR-Laa
- Variations: Darlene
- Namesakes: Darla Anderson, an American film producer on the Producers Guild of America board of directors. Darla Hood, an American child actress in the Our Gang film series from 1935 to 1941.
- Popularity: Darla held #941 in the U.S. in 2025; it first turned up in the national data in 1924.
Daryl
Daryl began as the English surname Darrell, meaning “beloved.” It’s also based on the French d’Airelle, given to anyone from Airelle, France. Daryl is a cool middle name for girls that acts as a term of endearment too.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Darling
- Pronunciation: DEY-Rahl
- Variations: Darrel, Darryl
- Namesakes: Daryl Hannah, an American actress known for Ron Howard’s romantic comedy Splash (1984).
- Popularity: Daryl came in at #1,529 in the U.S. in 2025, roughly one girl in 15,152 born that year.
Dasha
Dasha is the Russian pet form of the Greek Daria, meaning gift of God. Saint Daria was a third-century Greek martyr, so the full name carries a long shadow, but the short form sounds nothing like a saint’s. It is quick, warm, and easy for English speakers to say on the first try. Plenty of families use it as the everyday name with Daria on the paperwork.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Gift of God
- Pronunciation: DAH-Shaa
- Namesakes: Darya “Dasha” Zhukova, a Russian-American art collector and founder of Garage Magazine. Daria “Dasha” Astafieva, a Ukrainian singer with the pop duo NikitA.
- Popularity: Dasha ranked #2,128 in the U.S. in 2025, a long way from its #1,255 peak in 1995.
Dashawna
Dashawna is based on Shawn, the English version of the Hebrew John. By adding the “Da-” prefix to Shawna, it becomes a black Southern American name all on its own.
- Origin: Hebrew, American
- Meaning: God is merciful
- Pronunciation: Dae-SHAW-nah
- Popularity: Dashawna last appeared in the U.S. data at #16,130 in 2019, with its best showing at #3,836 in 1997.
Dashiell
Dashiell is the English spelling of the French surname de Chiel. It may connect to ciel, meaning “sky” and heaven, while chiel in Scottish carries the sense of a young boy or a page. Most people meet it first as a writer’s name and file it under boys, which is exactly what makes it interesting on a girl. Dash is the obvious short form and does most of the work. The full spelling looks formal on paper and sounds nothing like it out loud. It is a lot of name, in the good way.
- Origin: French, Scottish
- Meaning: Heaven, sky
- Pronunciation: DAE-Shey-EHL
- Variations: Dashell
- Popularity: Dashiell sat at #2,291 in the U.S. in 2025, after a best showing of #1,105 in 2015.
Davina
Davina is the feminine form of the Hebrew David, meaning beloved. Scottish use adds little dear, which doubles down on the affection. It belongs to a small family of D names, alongside Divina and Delphine, that all sound faintly like a 1940s film credit. Vina is there for anyone who wants an unexpected nickname.
- Origin: Scottish, Hebrew
- Meaning: Beloved
- Pronunciation: Dah-VIY-naa
- Variations: Daveena, Davinah, Davyna
- Namesakes: Davina Ingrams, the 18th Baroness and a member of the House of Lords. Davina Oriakhi, an English-Nigerian singer and winner of the Choice Female Artist at the Nigerian Teen Choice Awards in 2016.
- Popularity: Davina held #749 in the U.S. in 2025; it first turned up in the national data in 1916.
Dayanara
Dayanara also means “stringer together of spoil.” It’s rooted in the Greek “dios,” meaning “of Zeus,” so it has plenty of strength to offer your young little goddess.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Forceful
- Pronunciation: DIE-ah-NAH-Raa
- Variations: Deyanara
- Namesakes: Dayanara Torres, a Puerto Rican beauty queen who won Miss Universe 1993.
- Popularity: Dayanara has slipped the furthest of any name here, down about 79% over the last 10 years of births against the 10 years before them, and ranked #4,092 in the U.S. in 2025.
Daylin
Daylin reads as a gender-neutral, modern name and carries the sense of a beautiful day, with tender touch as a second meaning. In Old English it once meant “angel of God”. The spelling bends easily to Daelyn or Daylen depending on how invented you want it to look. It shares a sound family with Kaylin and Jaylin while staying a step less expected. Parents who like the rhythm of those names but not their frequency usually end up here.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Beautiful day
- Pronunciation: DEY-Lihn
- Variations: Daelin, Daelyn, Daylen
- Popularity: Daylin ranked #2,261 in the U.S. in 2025, a long way from its #1,520 peak in 2020.
Dayra
Dayra may be associated with the Arabic Daria. It’s relatively rare these days, so you may be waiting for someone to notice its unusual beauty.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Circle
- Pronunciation: DEY-Rah
- Variations: Daira, Dairra
- Namesakes: Dayra Lambis, a Venezuelan actress known for La Virgen Negra (2008).
- Popularity: Dayra ranked #4,093 in the U.S. in 2025.
Deanna
Deanna carries divine and goddess like from Latin and chief of ten from English, an odd pair of meanings to hold in one name. It may be a spelling variant of Diana, the Roman moon goddess also tied to fertility. The extra N gives it a softer landing than Diana’s clean vowels. It sounds like the friendliest person in the room.
- Origin: English, Latin
- Meaning: Valley, church leader
- Pronunciation: Diy-AA-Naa
- Variations: Deana
- Namesakes: Deanna Lund, an American actress known for the TV series Land of the Giants. Deanna Nolan, an American-Russian basketball player.
- Popularity: Deanna sat at #2,175 in the U.S. in 2025, after a best showing of #88 in 1969.
Dearbhla
Dearbhla is the most Gaelic of names for girls that start with D. It’s the name of a medieval saint who plucked out her eyes, but Dearbhla sounds cuter than her origin story.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Daughter of the poet
- Pronunciation: DIHRB-Lah
- Variations: Dervla
- Namesakes: Dearbhla Walsh, an Irish director known for the British series EastEnders.
- Popularity: Dearbhla is too rare for the U.S. federal name data, which only lists names given to at least five babies in a year.
Deborah
In the Bible, Deborah was a prophetess who served as both poet and judge, and she is credited with freeing the Israelites. That is an unusually substantial namesake for a name most people file under gentle. The meaning, bee, adds industry to the picture. Debbie, Deb, and Dee are all waiting if four syllables feel formal on a small child. It has never needed a comeback, because it never fully left.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Bee
- Pronunciation: DEHB-ah-Rah
- Variations: Debbora, Debborah, Deborrah
- Namesakes: Deborah Allan, a British judoka and gold medalist at the 1999 European Judo Championships. Debra Winger, an American actress first known for the film An Officer and a Gentleman (1982).
- Popularity: Deborah came in at #864 in the U.S. in 2025, roughly one girl in 5,128 born that year.
December
December comes from the Latin decem, meaning ten, since it was the tenth month of the Roman calendar’s ten-month year. It is one of the few month names that never softened into something else, so it keeps its full formal weight. Parents reach for it for a winter baby, though nothing about it insists on that.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Born in December
- Pronunciation: Diy-SEHM-ber
- Variations: Decembar, Decymber
- Popularity: December has drifted from a #2,736 high in 1979 down to #5,768 in 2025.
Dede
Dede comes from the Welsh Dee, meaning “dark.” When based on the Irish Deidre, it means “sorrowful.” It’s also associated with the Latin Diana, the most “divine” form of Dede.
- Origin: Welsh, Irish
- Meaning: Dark
- Pronunciation: DEE-Dee
- Variations: DeeDee, Diddie
- Namesakes: Dorothea “Dede” Allen, an American film editor known for Dog Day Afternoon (1975). Dede Feldman, an American member of the New Mexico Senate from 1997 to 2013.
- Popularity: Dede last appeared in the U.S. data at #15,905 in 2022, with its best showing at #1,024 in 1961.
Defiance
Defiance is a word name with no interest in being sweet. It comes from the Old French desfiance, meaning declaration of war, and reads today as a challenge to fight. As a surname it is close to nonexistent, so a girl carrying it will almost certainly be the only one in the building. It is a bold ask for a birth certificate and an excellent middle name.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Resistance, rebel
- Pronunciation: Dee-FIE-Uhns
- Popularity: The Social Security Administration has never published a U.S. ranking for Defiance, so fewer than five American girls a year receive it.
Deirdre
In Irish legend, Deirdre was a tragic heroine who died of a broken heart, remembered ever since as Deirdre of the Sorrows. The meaning follows suit: broken-hearted. Read literally it is a heavy inheritance; read as literature it is one of the great names in Irish storytelling. The sound itself is soft and low, closer to a sigh than a sorrow, and Dee lightens it in an instant.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Broken-hearted, sorrowful
- Pronunciation: DIYR-Drah
- Variations: Deidre, Deidrie, Dierdre
- Namesakes: Deirdre Hargey, an Irish former Lord Mayor of Belfast. Deirdre Sullivan, an Irish children’s writer and winner at the 28th CBI Book of the Year Awards.
- Popularity: Deirdre held #7,989 in the U.S. in 2025; it first turned up in the national data in 1921.
Deja
Deja is a modern coinage lifted from the French déjà vu, that flicker of something already lived through. A second reading gives it a stirred memory, which is a lovely thing to hand a daughter. Dejah with the H is the common variant.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Remembrance
- Pronunciation: DEY-Zjah
- Variations: Dejah
- Namesakes: Deja Kelly, an American college basketball player for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Deja Carter, an American backup dancer for Zendaya.
- Popularity: Deja came in at #3,039 in the U.S. in 2025, roughly one girl in 29,412 born that year.
Delancey
Delancey is more common as a surname given to anyone from the town of Lancey, France. It occurs more as a boy’s name spelled De Lancey, but this version is super cute and unique for girls.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: From the alder grove
- Pronunciation: Deh-LAHN-siy
- Variations: Delancie, Delancy
- Popularity: Delancey last appeared in the U.S. data at #15,874 in 2024, with its best showing at #11,092 in 2016.
Delilah
In the Bible, Delilah is the woman who cut Samson’s hair and undid his strength, which has kept the name faintly scandalous for centuries. Its other meanings, delicate, amorous, and temptress, cover a surprising range for three syllables. Most parents choosing it now hear the song long before the scripture. Lila, Lilah, and Dee are all folded inside it, so it shortens in whatever direction a family prefers. It is soft, a little dramatic, and completely at home on a birth announcement.
- Origin: Hebrew, Arabic
- Meaning: Delicate
- Pronunciation: Dih-LIE-Lah
- Variations: Delyla, Delylah, Delila
- Namesakes: Delilah S. Dawson, an American fantasy and sci-fi author known for her Star Wars tie-in fiction. Delilah Pierce, an African-American artist with work in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.
- Popularity: Delilah ranked #51 in the U.S. in 2025, one place off the #50 it reached in 2024.
Della
Della is a short form of Delilah, based on the Hebrew dal, meaning delicate. It may also connect to Delia, taken from the Greek goddess Artemis, who came from Delos. It has the two-syllable, ends-in-A shape that carried Ella and Stella back into fashion. Nothing about it needs shortening, which is a large part of the charm.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Noble
- Pronunciation: DEHL-ah
- Variations: Delah
- Namesakes: Della Jones, a Welsh opera singer who joined the Royal Opera House in 1983. Della Woods, an American dragster driver, and the first female to make the semifinals at an NHRA event.
- Popularity: Della is the biggest revival here: it peaked in 1913, bottomed out in 1998, and has climbed back about 16 times over since, ranking #563 in the U.S. in 2025.
Delores
Delores comes from the Spanish dolores, from dolar, meaning sorrows. It belongs to the Virgin Mary as Maria de los Dolores, Mary of the Sorrows, which is where its devotional weight comes from. The Dolores spelling is the more common of the two, but this version softens the first syllable. Opera singer Delores Ziegler carried it onto the Metropolitan stage without softening a syllable of it.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Sorrows
- Pronunciation: Deh-LAOR-ehs
- Variations: Deloris, Dolores
- Namesakes: Delores Ziegler, an American mezzo-soprano opera singer with the Metropolitan Opera. Delores Taylor, an American actor, known for the Billy Jack films of the 1970s.
- Popularity: Delores held #5,771 in the U.S. in 2025; it first turned up in the national data in 1890.
Delphine
Delphine originally meant from Delphi, the ancient Greek sanctuary dedicated to the sun god Apollo. Its alternative meaning, dolphin, pulls in a completely different direction, which is a rare bit of range for four letters of overlap. The French pronunciation gives it a clipped finish that the English spelling keeps intact. It pairs best with a short middle name, since it takes up so much room on its own.
- Origin: French, Greek
- Meaning: Dolphin
- Pronunciation: Dehl-FIYN
- Variations: Delphina, Delfine
- Namesakes: Delphine Blanc, a French footballer for Paris Saint-Germain. Delphine Horvilleur, France’s third female rabbi and co-leader of the Liberal Jewish Movement of France.
- Popularity: Delphine came in at #3,592 in the U.S. in 2025, roughly one girl in 38,462 born that year.
Delta
Delta is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet and the word for the mouth of a river. It also carries positive change, the sense mathematicians use, which is unusual freight for a girl’s name. Two syllables, hard consonants, no frills, and it reads as capable rather than pretty.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: River mouth
- Pronunciation: DEHL-Taa
- Variations: Delltah, Dellta
- Namesakes: Delta Burke, an American actress best known for the CBS sitcom Designing Women. Delta Goodrem, an Australian singer whose 2003 album Innocent Eyes topped the ARIA Albums Chart.
- Popularity: Delta ranked #2,337 in the U.S. in 2025, a long way from its #790 peak in 1916.
Delwen
Delwen is a modern Welsh name made up of “del,” meaning “pretty,” and “wen,” meaning “white.” It’s extremely rare nowadays, even in Wales, and stands out as a name almost no one else shares.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Pretty, fair
- Pronunciation: DEHL-Wehn
- Variations: Delwin, Delwyn
- Popularity: The Social Security Administration has never published a U.S. ranking for Delwen, so fewer than five American girls a year receive it.
Demelza
Demelza carries fort on a hill, and in Welsh, hill fort of Maeldaf. It is a Cornish place name that became a name for people through Winston Graham’s Poldark novels, where the heroine wears it. Very few names arrive by that route, and fewer keep the accent of the place they came from. Mel is the ready short form, though the full four syllables are the reason to choose it.
- Origin: Cornish
- Meaning: Fort on a hill
- Pronunciation: Deh-MEHL-zaa
- Variations: Demelzah
- Namesakes: Demelza McCloud, an Australian netball player on the Australian national team. Demelza Reveley, an Australian model and winner of the fourth season of Australia’s Next Top Model.
- Popularity: Demelza is the rarest ranked name on this list, #13,637 in the U.S. in 2025, or roughly one girl in 250,000 births.
Demeter
Demeter is the name of the Greek goddess of corn, grain, and the harvest. It was once given to people who were cloth merchants, but your earthy goddess can shine as Demeter.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Earth-lover
- Pronunciation: Dih-MIYT-ahr
- Popularity: Demeter last appeared in the U.S. data at #15,723 in 2020, with its best showing at #15,723 in 2020.
Demi
Though Demi has French origins, it began as a pet form of the Greek Demetria and points back to the earth goddess Demeter. The meaning, half or small, makes it one of the few names that admits to being short. It is friendlier than Demetria and less fussy than most D names of the same length.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Half, small
- Pronunciation: Deh-MIY
- Variations: Demie, Demmi, Demmy
- Namesakes: Demi Moore, an American actress and member of the Hollywood Brat Pack in the 1980s. Demi Vance, a Northern Irish footballer with the Northern Ireland women’s national team.
- Popularity: Demi came in at #381 in the U.S. in 2025, roughly one girl in 2,000 born that year.
Denise
Denise is the French form of the Latin Dionysia, taken from the Greek Dionysus, god of wine and good company. A second reading has it as devoted to Bacchus, the Roman version of the same god. Few names hide such a cheerful pedigree behind such a composed sound. It has drifted a long way from its #23 peak in 1955, though the sound has aged better than the rank suggests.
- Origin: Latin, French
- Meaning: Follower of Dionysus
- Pronunciation: Dah-NIYS
- Variations: Denese, Dennise, Denyse
- Namesakes: Denise Quiñones, a Puerto Rican beauty queen, crowned Miss Universe 2001. Denise Crosby, an American actress, appearing in season one of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
- Popularity: Denise ranked #1,677 in the U.S. in 2025, a long way from its #23 peak in 1955.
Denisha
Denisha also refers to the Greek god of wine, Dionysus. It’s a French variation of Denise and means “god of wine.” It peaked at #694 in 1994, faded through the 2000s and 2010s, and dropped off the U.S. list entirely after 2023.
- Origin: French, Greek
- Meaning: Devotee of Dionysus
- Pronunciation: Deh-NIY-shaa
- Variations: Daneisha, Danesha
- Popularity: Denisha has been off the U.S. list since 2023, when it ranked #12,467; its best year was #694 in 1994.
Dervla
Dervla is an Anglo version of the Gaelic Dearbhla. It was originally Deirbhile, made up of “der,” meaning “daughter,” and “file,” meaning “poet.” Dervla also means “true desire” and brings a Celtic flair to names for girls that start with D.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Daughter of the poet
- Pronunciation: DERV-Lah
- Variations: Dearbhla, Deirbhile
- Namesakes: Dervla Murphy, an Irish author known for the 1965 book Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle. Dervla Kirwan, an Irish actress, appearing in the TV series Ballykissangel.
- Popularity: The Social Security Administration has never published a U.S. ranking for Dervla, so fewer than five American girls a year receive it.
Derwa
Derwa is based on the Cornish “derw,” meaning “oak.” It’s the name of a Cornish saint known as Merther Derwa. Derwa is a shorter form of Derowyn, but is more casual for little girls who climb trees.
- Origin: Cornish
- Meaning: Oak
- Pronunciation: DEHR-waa
- Popularity: Derwa falls below the five-birth cutoff the U.S. data uses, so it carries no national ranking at all.
Desdemona
Desdemona is best known as the tragic wife in Shakespeare’s Othello, and she appears in earlier tellings as Disdemona. The meaning is unflinching: misery, with wretchedness and ill-fated close behind. It is a beautiful, unusually musical name attached to a very dark story, and parents either love that tension or run from it. Mona and Desi make it entirely wearable on a playground. The full version is the one worth writing down.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Misery
- Pronunciation: Dehz-dah-MOWN-ah
- Variations: Desdamona, Dezdemona
- Popularity: Desdemona last appeared in the U.S. data at #11,938 in 2017, with its best showing at #4,988 in 1919.
Desideria
Desideria is the female form of Desiderio and was most famously the name of a 19th-century queen of Sweden. It’s made up of “desiderium,” meaning “longing” and “desire” for a vivacious baby girl.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Desirable
- Pronunciation: Deh-siy-DEH-riy-Ah
- Namesakes: Desideria Quintanar de Yáñez, the first woman baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico. Desideria Ocampo, the First Lady of Guatemala from 1898 to 1920.
- Popularity: The Social Security Administration has never published a U.S. ranking for Desideria, so fewer than five American girls a year receive it.
Desirée
Though very French, Desirée was first used as a name for girls by the early American Puritans. It’s equivalent to the Italian Desiderio but is one of the most modern girl names that start with D.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Desired
- Pronunciation: Dehz-ih-REY
- Variations: Desirae, Desire, Desirey
- Namesakes: Desiree Heslop (known as Princess), a British singer known for her 1985 Top 10 UK single “Say I’m Your Number One.” Désirée van der Walt, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa since 2014.
- Popularity: The accented spelling, Desirée, falls below the five-birth cutoff the U.S. data uses, so it carries no U.S. ranking under that spelling.
Destiny
Destiny comes from the French destine and the Latin destinare, meaning to determine. It only became a girl’s name in the later twentieth century, which makes it young by the standards of this list. The word carries its own promise, which is either the appeal or the pressure depending on who you ask. It ran hot around the turn of the millennium and has settled a long way down since.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Fate
- Pronunciation: DEH-tih-Niy
- Variations: Destinee, Destiney, Destini
- Namesakes: Destiny Vélez, a Puerto Rican beauty pageant titleholder crowned Miss Puerto Rico 2015. Destiny Williams, an American basketball player for the Baylor Lady Bears.
- Popularity: Destiny sat at #635 in the U.S. in 2025, after a best showing of #22 in 2001.
Devika
Devika is a diminutive of Devi, the head goddess of Hindu mythology. She is also known as the mother of Lord Krishna, but this little goddess has the perfect name for yours.
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Little goddess
- Pronunciation: Dey-VIY-kaa
- Variations: Devica, Devicka, Devyka
- Namesakes: Devika Bhagat, an Indian screenwriter for the 2007 film Manorama Six Feet Under. Devika Vaidya, an Indian cricketer for Maharashtra.
- Popularity: Devika held #5,773 in the U.S. in 2025; it first turned up in the national data in 1975.
Devony
Devony could also be based on the Irish Devon, meaning “bard,” “poet,” and “little deer.” It’s the name of a county in England, but Devony is far more special as a cool name for a baby girl.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Dark-haired
- Pronunciation: DEH-voh-Niy
- Variations: Devany
- Popularity: Devony has been off the U.S. list since 2009, when it ranked #11,728; its best year was #8,388 in 1999.
Devora
Devora is Hebrew for bee and doubles as a much-used surname in Mexico. Its older sense, from a bee storm, gives it more force than the tidy insect image suggests. It is less common than Deborah, so it arrives without the mid-century associations the longer spelling picked up. It pairs cleanly with a plain one-syllable middle name.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Bee
- Pronunciation: DEHV-aor-Ah
- Variations: Devorah, Dvorah
- Namesakes: Devora Nadworney, an American opera singer associated with the Chicago Civic Opera from 1925 until 1934.
- Popularity: Devora ranked #2,068 in the U.S. in 2025, its best showing on record.
Dhara
Dhara also means “support” in Sanskrit. In Hindu mythology, Dharā is one of the Vasus gods that symbolizes the earth as an element. It also refers to the “flow of a waterfall,” so Dhara has plenty of spiritual meaning.
- Origin: Hindi
- Meaning: Earth
- Pronunciation: DAA-Raa
- Variations: Dhaaraa, Dharaa
- Popularity: Dhara ranked #3,222 in the U.S. in 2025.
Dharma
In Buddhism, dharma is the personal duty a person fulfills by living within the law. It is built on dham, meaning uphold or support, a serious meaning for a short word. American ears may reach the sitcom Dharma and Greg before the philosophy. As a name it is calm, unisex, and asks nothing complicated of a spelling.
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Divine law
- Pronunciation: DAAR-Maa
- Variations: Darma, Darmah
- Popularity: Dharma last appeared in the U.S. data at #12,475 in 2023, with its best showing at #2,129 in 1998.
Dhruvit
Dhruvit is a derivative of Dhruv, meaning “pole star.” It’s used more as a boy’s name but is unisex. Dhruvit also carries the senses “faith” and “one which is constant,” fitting undertones for a name still finding its footing outside India.
- Origin: Hindi
- Meaning: Happy
- Pronunciation: DREW-Veet
- Variations: Dhruvita
- Popularity: Dhruvit is too rare for the U.S. federal name data, which only lists names given to at least five babies in a year.
Diana
Diana is built from the Greek dyeus, meaning to shine, and deus, meaning deity, and belongs to the moon goddess of hunting and the forest. That is a great deal of authority for three plain syllables. It has stayed steady across languages and generations without ever feeling stuck in one. Actress Diana Rigg and gymnast Diana Chelaru are two well-known bearers.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Divine
- Pronunciation: Day-AEN-ah
- Variations: Dyannah, Dianna
- Namesakes: Diana Rigg, an English actress famous for The Avengers (1965 to 1968). Diana Chelaru, a Romanian artistic gymnast who competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
- Popularity: Diana came in at #244 in the U.S. in 2025, roughly one girl in 1,258 born that year.
Dido
Dido is the heroine of Virgil’s Aeneid and the tragic figure at the center of the opera Dido and Aeneas. She was also the founder of Carthage, which makes her a city builder rather than only a love story. That is a lot of history packed into four letters. A modern singer has worn it too, so it does not read as purely ancient.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Wanderer, queen
- Pronunciation: DIY-Doh
- Variations: Didoh, Dydo
- Namesakes: Florian Armstrong (known as Dido), an English singer/songwriter and winner of Brit Awards in 2002 and 2004. Dido Belle, a former slave turned British heiress and member of the Lindsay family of Evelix.
- Popularity: Dido falls below the five-birth cutoff the U.S. data uses, so it carries no national ranking at all.
Dilara
Dilara is another version of the Spanish and French Lara. It’s based on the Persian “del,” meaning “heart.” Dilara unforgettably means “she who is pleasing” or “what makes the heart beautiful.”
- Origin: Turkish, Persian
- Meaning: She who delights the heart
- Pronunciation: Diy-LAA-Rah
- Variations: Delara
- Namesakes: Dilara Aksüyek, a Turkish actress appearing in the 2013 drama series Merhamet. Dilara Narin, a Turkish weightlifter and gold medalist at the 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games.
- Popularity: Dilara ranked #4,479 in the U.S. in 2025.
Dilly
Dilly is a welcoming nickname for the Welsh Dylan. It’s composed of “dy,” meaning “great” and “llanw,” meaning “sea.” Dilly could also be a short version of Dilys, Dilwen, or Daffodil for your little flower girl.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Great flood
- Pronunciation: DIH-Liy
- Variations: Dilys
- Namesakes: Dilly Court (Pseudonym Lily Baxter), an English author whose book The Button Box appeared on The Sunday Times Bestseller List.
- Popularity: The Social Security Administration has never published a U.S. ranking for Dilly, so fewer than five American girls a year receive it.
Dina
Dina began as Dinah and Adinah in the Hebrew Bible, where the name means judgment. Its other senses, vindicated and avenged, give it more spine than the soft sound suggests. It is short, crosses languages cleanly, and never needs explaining at a border. Dinah with the H is the older spelling if you want the biblical look.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Judgment
- Pronunciation: DIY-Nah
- Variations: Dinah, Dena, Deena
- Namesakes: Dina Garipova, a Russian singer and 2012 winner of the Russian version of the reality TV series The Voice. Dina Miftakhutdinova, a Ukrainian rower and silver medalist at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
- Popularity: Dina held #1,327 in the U.S. in 2025; it first turned up in the national data in 1883.
Dinara
Dinara is also Russian but is a very common name in Kazakhstan. In ancient Rome, the “dinar” was the common currency, and the same word stayed in use as Croatia’s currency into the 1990s. Dinara also carries the sense “treasure,” a fitting echo of its currency roots.
- Origin: Russian, Arabic
- Meaning: Expensive
- Pronunciation: Diy-NAA-raa
- Namesakes: Dinara Safina, a Russian world No. 1 tennis player and runner-up at the 2009 French Open. Dinara Saduakassova, a Kazakhstani chess player, International Master, and Woman Grandmaster.
- Popularity: Dinara has been off the U.S. list since 2020, when it ranked #12,487; its best year was #8,571 in 2009.
Dior
Dior connects to the French surname D’Or, meaning golden. The fashion house is the obvious reference and almost certainly the reason the name keeps coming back around. Two syllables, a hard landing, and it sounds expensive without any effort at all.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Golden
- Pronunciation: Diy-AOR
- Variations: Diore, Diorr
- Namesakes: Dior Angus, an English footballer for EFL League Two club Harrogate Town.
- Popularity: Dior ranked #1,126 in the U.S. in 2025, a long way from its #499 peak in 2020.
Divina
Divina is a Spanish word for “divine providence.” The name calls up angelic, heavenly forces arriving from far away to watch over your baby girl.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Divine, heavenly
- Pronunciation: Dih-VIY-Nah
- Variations: Divinah, Dyvina
- Namesakes: Divina Galica, a British sportswoman who captained the British Women’s Olympic Ski Team in 1968 and 1972.
- Popularity: Divina ranked #3,593 in the U.S. in 2025.
Dixie
Dixie originated as the French “dix,” meaning “tenth.” It’s also known as a nickname for the Old American South, and it’s been carried by actress Dixie Carter of Designing Women and Australian gold medalist runner Dixie Willis. It peaked at #167 in 1938 and sat at #1,605 in the U.S. in 2025.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Tenth
- Pronunciation: DIK-See
- Variations: Dixee, Dixey, Dixi, Dixy
- Namesakes: Dixie Carter, an American actress known for the TV series Designing Women (1986 to 1993). Dixie Willis, an Australian runner and gold medalist at the 1962 Commonwealth Games.
- Popularity: Dixie sat at #1,605 in the U.S. in 2025, after a best showing of #167 in 1938.
Diya
Diya derives from the Sanskrit “diya,” meaning “deserving of gifts.” It’s widely used in India and among Indian diaspora communities, and its meaning makes it a natural fit for a long-awaited daughter.
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Love, heavenly
- Pronunciation: DIY-Yaa
- Variations: Dia, Diah
- Namesakes: Diya, an Indian actress known for the film Dreams (2004). Diya Kumari, an Indian politician and member of the Indian Parliament.
- Popularity: Diya’s U.S. rank sat at #1,714 in 2025, a name that first appeared in the U.S. data in 1991.
Djuna
Djuna stands out as one of the few invented girl names with a D on this list. Novelist Djuna Barnes’s father coined it by blending “nuna,” her brother’s toddler pronunciation of “moon,” with the literary character Prince Djalma.
- Origin: American
- Meaning: Light of the moon
- Pronunciation: JHUW-Naa
- Variations: Juna
- Namesakes: Djuna Barnes, an American writer known for her novel Nightwood (1936). Djuna, a South Korean science fiction writer and the second President of the Science Fiction Writers Union of the Republic of Korea from 2020 to 2021.
- Popularity: Djuna last appeared in the U.S. data at #13,893 in 2023, with its best showing at #738 in 1964.
Dobrawa
Dobrawa builds on the Polish “dąb,” meaning “oak grove,” and also carries the senses “meadow” and “glade.” It stays largely unknown outside Poland, which gives it an exotic feel.
- Origin: Polish, Slavic
- Meaning: Oak grove, good glory
- Pronunciation: Doh-BRAH-wah
- Variations: Doubravka
- Namesakes: Dobrawa Czocher, a Polish cellist known for combining classical and contemporary music.
- Popularity: Dobrawa is too rare for the U.S. federal name data, which only lists names given to at least five babies in a year.
Doe
Doe works as a nickname for the Greek Dorothy, meaning “gift of God.” The word also serves as a placeholder surname for unidentified persons, but as a first name Doe stays one of the cutest girl names that start with D.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Female deer
- Pronunciation: DOW
- Popularity: Doe last appeared in the U.S. data at #6,821 in 1962, with its best showing at #4,147 in 1955.
Dolce
Dolce traces to the Latin “dulcis,” meaning “pleasant,” and served as a medieval Italian word for anything “sweet.” Dolce & Gabbana keeps the name in the public eye, but your own Dolce will be sweet on her own terms.
- Origin: Latin, Italian
- Meaning: Sweet
- Pronunciation: DOHL-che
- Variations: Dulce
- Namesakes: Dolce Cabot, the first woman in New Zealand employed by a newspaper for The Canterbury Times in 1894.
- Popularity: Dolce has been off the U.S. list since 2024, when it ranked #15,919; its best year was #6,897 in 2007.
Dolly
Dolly is an affectionate nickname for Dolores and Dorothy, meaning “gift of God” in Greek. Dolly Parton is its best known bearer, and the “doll” connotation gives it extra charm.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Gift of God
- Pronunciation: DAAL-iy
- Variations: Dolli, Dollie, Doly
- Namesakes: Dolly Jacobs, an American circus aerialist with Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Dolly Martin, an English actress famous for the film Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.
- Popularity: Dolly held #1,781 in the U.S. in 2025; it first turned up in the national data in 1880.
Dominique
Dominique is the feminine form of Dominic, drawn from the Latin Dominicus, meaning “belonging to the Lord.” St. Dominic is the patron saint of astronomers, a fitting link for a baby girl who might reach for the stars.
- Origin: French, Latin
- Meaning: Of the lord
- Pronunciation: Daam-ah-NIYK
- Variations: Dominika
- Namesakes: Dominique Faure, a French politician elected to the National Assembly in 2022. Dominique Crenn, the only French female chef in the U.S. with three Michelin stars.
- Popularity: Dominique came in at #3,140 in the U.S. in 2025, roughly one girl in 31,250 born that year.
Domna
Domna carries the sense “lord of the home” in Latin, rooted in the Latin “dŏmĭna,” meaning “madam.” Ancient Rome used Domina for the lady of the house, a role Domna brings home for your little girl.
- Origin: Polish, Slavic
- Meaning: Master
- Pronunciation: DAAM-naa
- Variations: Domina
- Namesakes: Domna Michailidou, the Greek Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs. Domna Anisimova, a blind and illiterate 19th-century Russian poet.
- Popularity: Domna falls below the five-birth cutoff the U.S. data uses, so it carries no national ranking at all.
Donata
Donata is based on the Latin “donatus,” meaning “to give” or “the giving one.” It is a typically Polish form that is also popular in Italy, fitting for a baby girl who already gives you everything.
- Origin: Polish, Latin
- Meaning: Given
- Pronunciation: Dow-NAA-taa
- Variations: Donatella
- Namesakes: Donata Karalienė, a Lithuanian rower and bronze medalist at the Rio 2016 Games. Donata Badoer, the Italian wife of the explorer Marco Polo.
- Popularity: Donata has been off the U.S. list since 2004, when it ranked #11,922; its best year was #2,623 in 1920.
Donatella
Donatella means “given by God” in Latin, coming from the Latin “donare,” meaning “to give.” It works as a pet name for Donata and carries fame from the fashion world through Donatella Versace.
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: Gift
- Pronunciation: Dow-naa-TEY-Laa
- Variations: Donna, Donata
- Namesakes: Donatella Finocchiaro, an Italian actress known for the film The Wedding Director (2006). Donatella Arpaia, an American TV personality on The Food Network.
- Popularity: Donatella sat at #6,914 in the U.S. in 2025, after a best showing of #5,052 in 2020.
Dora
Dora is sometimes linked to the German Dore but is actually based on the Greek Dorothea. It also serves as a nickname for Isadora or Theodora, meaning “gift.” The children’s series Dora the Explorer gives this cute name its most familiar recent success.
- Origin: Latin, German
- Meaning: Gift
- Pronunciation: DOWR-ah
- Variations: Dorah
- Namesakes: Dora Russell, a British author who led the “Women’s Peace Caravan” across Europe during the Cold War. Theodora “Dora” Kyriakou, a Cypriot sprinter and silver medalist at the 1997 Mediterranean Games.
- Popularity: Dora held #2,388 in the U.S. in 2025; it first turned up in the national data in 1880.
Doretta
Doretta is a diminutive of Dora and also short for Theodora, meaning “gift from God” in Greek. It can simply mean “gift,” and it counts as one of the more offbeat female names that start with D.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Little gift
- Pronunciation: Daoer-EH-taa
- Variations: Doretha
- Namesakes: Doretta Morrow, an American actress best known for the film The King and I (1951).
- Popularity: Doretta last appeared in the U.S. data at #15,920 in 2024, with its best showing at #909 in 1953.
Dorian
The Dorians were an ancient Greek tribe, and the name Dorian meant “of Doros,” referring to that clan. Some also connect it to the Hebrew “doron,” meaning “gift,” a fitting idea for your special one on the way.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Of Doris
- Pronunciation: DOWR-iy-Ahn
- Variations: Doriane, Dorrian
- Namesakes: Dorian Leigh, an American fashion model and one of the first supermodels.
- Popularity: Dorian ranked #539 in the U.S. in 2025, slightly off its #398 peak in 2000.
Dorina
Dorina is a variation on the Greek Dora, meaning “gift.” It is common today across Eastern and Central Europe, and it may be the prettiest of the “gift” names starting with D.
- Origin: Latin, Greek
- Meaning: Gift of God
- Pronunciation: Daoer-IY-naa
- Variations: Dorine
- Namesakes: Dorina Mihai, a Romanian saber fencer, and the 2003 world champion. Dorina Zele, a Hungarian basketball player for the Hungarian national team.
- Popularity: Dorina ranked #12,246 in the U.S. in 2025.
Dorit
Dorit is a Hebrew version of Doris, originally drawn from the Greek Dorothea, meaning “gift of God.” Dorit also carries the sense “a generation,” fitting for the newest group of baby girls to arrive.
- Origin: Greek, Hebrew
- Meaning: Gift of God
- Pronunciation: Dow-RIYT
- Variations: Doritt, Dorritt
- Namesakes: Dorit Beinisch, the 9th president of the Supreme Court of Israel. Dorit Bar Or, an Israeli actress, named Israel’s best-dressed woman in Pnai Plus magazine.
- Popularity: Dorit has been off the U.S. list since 1983, when it ranked #10,729; its best year was #5,107 in 1967.
Dorothea
Dorothea is mostly a Dutch and German version of Dorothy. St. Dorothea was the 14th-century patron saint of Prussia. Dorothea was quite popular in the early 20th-century and still holds a place in the U.S. rankings today.
- Origin: German, Greek
- Meaning: Gift from God
- Pronunciation: Dow-row-THEE-Ah
- Variations: Dorotea, Dorothia, Dorothya
- Namesakes: Dorothea Lange, an American photojournalist known for her photos of the Great Depression. Dorothea Lösch, the first female in Sweden given the rank of Captain in the Swedish Navy.
- Popularity: Dorothea held #1,782 in the U.S. in 2025; it first turned up in the national data in 1880.
Dovizia
Dovizia is a very rare name based in medieval Italy. Italian artist Donatello’s famous work called Dovizia is a sculpture of a woman balancing fruit on her head. It has stayed rare in Italy ever since, without ever becoming a common choice.
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: Wealth
- Pronunciation: Dow-VIZH-iy-Ah
- Popularity: Dovizia falls below the five-birth cutoff the U.S. data uses, so it carries no national ranking at all.
Drasna
Drasna is based on the Latin botanical “dracaena,” which comes from the Greek “drakōn,” meaning “dragon.” It stands out because the name was invented for a modern day Pokémon character.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Dragon
- Pronunciation: DRAEZ-Nah
- Popularity: Drasna is too rare for the U.S. federal name data, which only lists names given to at least five babies in a year.
Drea
Drea is a nickname for Andrea, a Greek name meaning “virile” and “manly.” That origin need not scare anyone off, since your baby girl can wear the name Drea like no one else.
- Origin: Latin, Greek
- Meaning: Courageous
- Pronunciation: DREY-Ah
- Namesakes: Drea de Matteo, an American actress known for the HBO series The Sopranos (1999 to 2006). Andrea Kelly (known as Drea), an American choreographer and ex-wife of singer-songwriter R. Kelly.
- Popularity: Drea ranked #7,588 in the U.S. in 2025.
Dream
Dream is the literal English word for the images and sensations experienced during sleep. It can also carry the sense “joyous music,” and it might work best as a quirky middle name for the baby girl you expect.
- Origin: English, American
- Meaning: Joyous
- Pronunciation: DRIYM
- Namesakes: Ami Nakashima (known as Dream Ami), a Japanese singer and former member of the Japanese girl groups Dream and E-girls.
- Popularity: Dream is the fastest riser on this list, up about 784% over the last 10 years of births measured against the 10 years before them.
Drew
Drew grew out of the Greek andreios, meaning “brave” or courageous. As a “D” surname it reached the British Isles as Dru with William the Conqueror. It still lands on boys more often, but it has a light, unfussy quality on a girl that few short names manage. It is the rare name that works equally well shouted across a yard and printed on a business card.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Wise
- Pronunciation: DRUW
- Variations: Dru, Drue
- Namesakes: Drew Barrymore, an American actress with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame since 2004. Drew Gilpin Faust, the 28th president of Harvard University.
- Popularity: Drew held #553 in the U.S. in 2025; it first turned up in the national data in 1880.
Drifa
Drifa derives from the Old Norse “drífa,” meaning “fall of snow.” It also carries the sense “snowdrift,” an Icelandic choice for young ladies who love playing in the snow.
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: Snow
- Pronunciation: DRIY-Faa
- Namesakes: Drífa Viðar, an Icelandic writer of literary criticism, in the publication Melkorka during the 1960s.
- Popularity: The Social Security Administration has never published a U.S. ranking for Drifa, so fewer than five American girls a year receive it.
Druella
Druella looks like Druscilla and Ella folded together, and it carries elfin vision from German. Latin adds fast and level-headed, a strange and useful combination. It is formal, rare, and slightly gothic, which suits parents who find Isabella too smooth. Dru or Ella take the edge off whenever it is needed.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Elfin vision
- Pronunciation: Druw-EHL-ah
- Variations: Drusilla
- Popularity: Druella falls below the five-birth cutoff the U.S. data uses, so it carries no national ranking at all.
Druscilla
Druscilla was an ancient Roman name possibly connected to Queen Cleopatra. It carries a bit of an evil princess quality, but the nickname Dru can sweeten it right up.
- Origin: Latin, Italian
- Meaning: Dew, fruitful
- Pronunciation: Druw-SILL-Ah
- Variations: Drusilla, Drucilla
- Popularity: Druscilla last appeared in the U.S. data at #14,076 in 1994, with its best showing at #2,623 in 1948.
Dulcia
Dulcia is the fuller, more formal cousin of Dulcie, built on the Latin dulce, meaning sweet. Italian uses the same root in dolci, the word for the sweets at the end of a meal. It is soft without being weak and old without sounding dusty. Dulce and Dulcie are both ready-made short forms.
- Origin: Latin, Italian
- Meaning: Sweet
- Pronunciation: Duwl-SIY-ah
- Variations: Dulce, Dulcie
- Popularity: Dulcia has been off the U.S. list since 1932, when it ranked #4,584; its best year was #3,445 in 1925.
Dumiah
Little is documented about Dumiah beyond its Hebrew meaning, “silent.” It resembles the Arabic Dunia but stands on its own among women’s names that start with D.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Silent
- Pronunciation: Duw-MIY-aa
- Variations: Dumea, Dumiya
- Popularity: Dumiah falls below the five-birth cutoff the U.S. data uses, so it carries no national ranking at all.
Dune
Dune is the plain word for a ridge of sand on a beach, and as a surname it appears as Dun, from a Scottish place name. Its Gaelic reading gives brown soldier, a far tougher meaning than the word suggests. The novel and the films keep it in the air, which helps a cool unisex name stay recognizable. One syllable, no nickname, nothing to explain.
- Origin: Gaelic, Scottish
- Meaning: Brown soldier
- Pronunciation: DUWN
- Variations: Deune
- Popularity: Dune came in at #5,928 in the U.S. in 2025, roughly one girl in 111,111 born that year.
Dunja
Dunja is a Serbo-Croatian name derived from a Russian nickname for the Greek Evdokia. It remains common across the Balkans, and it stays rare enough in the U.S. to feel distinctive.
- Origin: Serbo-Croatian
- Meaning: Quince
- Pronunciation: DOON-Yah
- Variations: Dunia, Duniya
- Namesakes: Dunja Kreiser, a German politician and Member of the Bundestag since 2021. Dunja Hayali, a German TV presenter for public broadcaster ZDF.
- Popularity: The Social Security Administration has never published a U.S. ranking for Dunja, so fewer than five American girls a year receive it.
Duscha
Duscha comes from the Slavic duša, meaning soul, and carries happy in Russian. Few names hand you both the inner life and the mood in one word. It looks harder than it sounds, since it lands as DUW-shaa, and it rewards a family drawn to Slavic sound.
- Origin: Slavic
- Meaning: Divine spirit
- Pronunciation: DUW-Shaa
- Variations: Dusa, Dusha
- Popularity: Duscha falls below the five-birth cutoff the U.S. data uses, so it carries no national ranking at all.
Dusty
Dusty is unisex and grew out of the male Dustin, which traces to the Old Norse steinn, meaning stone. In English it also reads as light dirt, the kind that comes off a country road in July. It has a denim, front-porch quality that dresses down beautifully. Most families use it as the everyday name with something longer on the certificate.
- Origin: German, Norse
- Meaning: Brave warrior
- Pronunciation: DUHST-iy
- Variations: Dustey, Dustie, Dusti
- Namesakes: Mary O’Brien (known as Dusty Springfield), an English singer most famous for the song “Son of a Preacher Man.” Ruth “Dusty” Anderson, an American World War II pin-up model in the 1940s.
- Popularity: Dusty sat at #3,532 in the U.S. in 2025, after a best showing of #316 in 1981.
Dvorah
Dvorah is a Hebrew variation of Deborah. In the Bible, Dvorah served as a prophet and judge who raised an army that defeated the Canaanites.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Bee
- Pronunciation: Dih-VOH-raa
- Variations: Dvora
- Popularity: Dvorah has been off the U.S. list since 2024, when it ranked #15,932; its best year was #10,930 in 2017.
Dylan
Dylan means “born from the ocean” in Welsh, where it belongs to Dylan ail Don, a figure out of Welsh mythology. The name still reads as a boy’s to most people, which is exactly why it feels fresh on a daughter. It has the sound of water and the shape of a surname, so it also slots neatly into a middle name. Meteorologist Dylan Dreyer and actress Dylan Gelula both wear it as a first name, no water pun required.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Son of the sea
- Pronunciation: DIHL-ahn
- Variations: Dillan, Dillen, Dylann
- Namesakes: Dylan Dreyer, an American meteorologist for NBC News’s Today Show. Dylan Gelula, an American actress, appearing in the TV series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
- Popularity: Dylan is the highest ranked name on this list, #41 in the U.S. in 2025, well down from its #19 peak in 2003 and counted for girls and boys alike.
Dymphna
Dymphna comes from the Irish Damhnait, meaning fit or eligible, and also carries young deer. St. Dymphna was a Celtic princess and a 7th-century Irish martyr. The spelling looks harder than it sounds, though it shortens easily to Dymph or Dee. It suits parents drawn to a name with real saintly history behind it.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Fawn
- Pronunciation: DIHMF-Naa
- Variations: Dympna
- Namesakes: Dymphna Cusack, an Australian writer whose novel Come In Spinner, was made as a TV series in Australia in 1989. Dymphna Byrne, an Irish travel writer, specializing in archaeological locales.
- Popularity: Dymphna has been off the U.S. list since 2020, when it ranked #15,766; its best year was #4,025 in 1966.
