Girl name · Greek
Daphne
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: laurel treeDaphne is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "laurel tree". It is used in English, Greek and French.
- Meaning
- Laurel tree
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- DAF-nee
Meaning and origin of Daphne
As a girl's name, Daphne comes from Greek and means "laurel tree". It is used in English and Greek.
As a girl's name, Daphne comes from Greek and means "laurel". It is used in French. In French it is spelled Daphné.
Say it DAF-nee. In French, say dahf-NAY. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Daphne on our nature names list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Daphne on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Daphne on 8 lists.
“Graceful, smart and a little mysterious”
From Nicknames that start with D, d nicknames for girls
“Greek for laurel, after a nymph of myth”
From Bunny names, girl bunny names
“Greek for laurel, sweet and a little bit sassy”
From Cute dog names, cute girl dog names
“Laurel; Greek. Say dahf-NAY”
From French girl names, unique French girl names
“Laurel; Greek. Nymph of myth who became a tree”
From Girl middle names, flowing middle names for girls
“Laurel; Greek. A nymph turned into a laurel tree, Dafni today”
From Greek girl names, muses, Graces and nymph names
“Laurel tree; Greek. A nymph turned into one in myth. Say DAF-nee”
From Nature names, tree and forest names
“Laurel tree; Greek, a nymph of myth”
From Unique girl names, rare Greek girl names
How popular is Daphne?
- US rank in 2025
- #178
- 1,740 babies, 1,083 per million girls
- Best rank
- #178 in 2025
- 1,740 babies that year
- Babies since 1886
- At least 44,182
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 20 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 59 per million |
| 1900s | 55 per million |
| 1910s | 61 per million |
| 1920s | 88 per million |
| 1930s | 72 per million |
| 1940s | 91 per million |
| 1950s | 145 per million |
| 1960s | 380 per million |
| 1970s | 312 per million |
| 1980s | 157 per million |
| 1990s | 140 per million |
| 2000s | 277 per million |
| 2010s | 444 per million |
| 2020s | 777 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #407 | #385 | #384 | #435 | #415 | #289 | #281 | #241 | #193 | #178 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Daphne
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- DafniLaurel tree (Greek, girl)
- DefneLaurel tree (Greek, girl)
Names spelled like Daphne
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- DahyeMany blessings (depends on characters) (Korean, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- LauraLaurel tree (Latin, girl)
- OliviaOlive tree (Latin, girl)
- OliverOlive tree (Latin, boy)
- HadassahMyrtle tree (Hebrew, girl)
- IlanTree (Hebrew, boy)
- LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)
- OliveTree of peace (Latin, girl)
- OlivierOlive tree (Latin, boy)
- YvonneYew tree (Germanic, girl)
- AlaniPossibly from Hawaiian ʻalani, orange tree or fruit (Hawaiian, girl)
Middle names for Daphne
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Greek
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- IrisA rainbow (Greek, girl)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- ChristinaFollower of Christ (Greek, girl)
- NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
Daphne: common questions
What does the name Daphne mean?
Daphne comes from Greek and means "laurel tree". It also has another origin: "laurel" from Greek.
Is Daphne a boy or girl name?
Daphne is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Daphne come from?
Daphne comes from Greek and means "laurel tree". Today it is used in English, Greek and French.
How do you pronounce Daphne?
Say DAF-nee. In French, say dahf-NAY. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Daphne?
Daphne ranked #178 in the US in 2025, with 1,740 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Daphne?
Forms of Daphne with the same meaning and origin include Dafni (Greek) and Defne (Turkish).
What middle names go with Daphne?
Middle names that flow well with Daphne include Faith, Ivy, Jade, Lark and Lydia. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.