Boy name · Persian
Darius
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: he who holds firm the goodDarius is a boy's name that comes from Persian and means "he who holds firm the good". It is used in Persian and English.
- Meaning
- He who holds firm the good
- Origin
- Persian
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #788 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Darius
As a boy's name, Darius comes from Persian and means "he who holds firm the good". It is used in Persian and English.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Darius on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Darius on 3 lists.
“Rucker carried it from rock to country radio”
From Redneck names for boys, country music inspired boy names
“A Flemish Giant once named the world's longest rabbit”
From Bunny names, famous and folklore rabbit names
“He who holds firm the good; Old Persian, a great king of Persia”
From Unique boy names, unique boy names from around the world
How popular is Darius?
- US rank in 2025
- #788
- 322 babies, 189 per million boys
- Best rank
- #152 in 1990
- Most babies: 2,184 in 1994
- Babies since 1880
- At least 54,006
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 20 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 9 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 19 per million |
| 1920s | 16 per million |
| 1930s | 16 per million |
| 1940s | 17 per million |
| 1950s | 29 per million |
| 1960s | 70 per million |
| 1970s | 190 per million |
| 1980s | 389 per million |
| 1990s | 1,010 per million |
| 2000s | 623 per million |
| 2010s | 348 per million |
| 2020s | 226 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #511 | #495 | #510 | #567 | #592 | #636 | #679 | #723 | #746 | #788 |
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.
Names spelled like Darius
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- DariushHolding firm the good (Persian, boy)
- DariuszHolding firm the good (Persian, boy)
- DarioPossessing goodness (Persian, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- EthanFirm, enduring (Hebrew, boy)
- TobiasGod is good (Hebrew, boy)
- AgataGood, from Greek agathos (Greek, girl)
- HassanHandsome, good (Arabic, boy)
- AgathaGood (Greek, girl)
- AgatheGood one (Greek, girl)
- BushraGood news (Arabic, girl)
- DariaHolding firm the good (Persian, girl)
- DaryaHolding firm the good; also sea in Persian (Persian, girl)
- DeclanMeaning unknown, though likely begins with Old Irish dag, good (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Middle names for Darius
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Persian
- AftabSunshine, the sun (Persian, boy)
- AkhtarA star (Persian, unisex)
- BaranRain (Persian, unisex)
- JasperPerhaps treasurer, from Gaspar, one of the Magi (Persian, boy)
- JavedEternal (Persian, boy)
- ParvinThe Pleiades star cluster (Persian, unisex)
- RoshanLight, bright (Persian, unisex)
- SherLion (Persian, boy)
- AlborzFrom the Alborz mountain range (Persian, boy)
- ArmanWish, ideal, hope (Persian, boy)
Darius: common questions
What does the name Darius mean?
Darius comes from Persian and means "he who holds firm the good".
Is Darius a boy or girl name?
Darius is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Darius come from?
Darius comes from Persian and means "he who holds firm the good". Today it is used in Persian and English.
How popular is the name Darius?
Darius ranked #788 in the US in 2025, with 322 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Darius?
Names spelled like Darius include Dariush, Dariusz and Dario.
What middle names go with Darius?
Middle names that flow well with Darius include Ford, Jude, Lamar, Mark and Micah. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.