Daphne
How to say it: DAF-nee · /ˈdæfni/
From Greek 'daphne' meaning laurel tree. In mythology, a nymph transformed into a laurel tree by her father.
Daphne was the 177th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 1,740 babies (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are up 2.0-fold in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #74 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #177 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 1,740 |
| Share of births | 1 in 1,667 |
| Peak decade | 2020s |
| Change over 10 years | ×2.0 |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #74 |
| In France, 2025 | #256 among girls’ names, 215 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Climbing still, Daphne is enjoying its best run yet in the 2020s. Standing at its peak, further ascent looks likely over the next few years.
What goes with it
Said DAF nee, it pairs crisp edges with breathy softness in a gentle nature mood rooted in mythology. Iris shares its style, while Daph works as a short form.
Middle names that flow with Daphne →
Nicknames
- Daph
- Daphie
Honouring a Daphne in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Daphne is about 1 in 70.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Dutch, English, French, German, Greek.
In France: #256 for girls in 2025.
England and Wales: #126. Ireland: #416.
Famous people named Daphne
- Daphne du Maurier (1907–1989)British writer
- Daphne Caruana Galizia (1964–2017)Maltese journalist and blogger
- Daphne Koller (born 1968)Israeli-American computer scientist
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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