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Boy name · Greek

Dorian

Name meaning, origin and popularity

: member of an ancient Greek tribe

Dorian is a boy's name that comes from Greek and means "member of an ancient Greek tribe". It is used in English and French.

Meaning
Member of an ancient Greek tribe
Origin
Greek
Gender
Boy
US rank
#539 in 2025

Meaning and origin of Dorian

As a boy's name, Dorian comes from Greek and means "member of an ancient Greek tribe". It is used in English and French.

Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names

Dorian on Nomezo lists

What our editors wrote about Dorian on 3 lists.

  • “First used by Oscar Wilde, probably from the Dorians of Greece. His ageless antihero made it gothic”

    From Gothic names, gothic male names with real meanings

  • “After Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray, whose portrait aged in his place”

    From Gray cat names, gray characters in stories, legends and puns

  • “Wilde's ageless dandy, for a dog who never looks older”

    From Unique dog names, literary names for dogs

How popular is Dorian?

US rank in 2025
#539
557 babies, 326 per million boys
Best rank
#398 in 2000
Most babies: 641 in 2008
Babies since 1915
At least 24,187
Years with under 5 are not listed
1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
Babies per million US boys, by decade (the 2020s so far, to 2025). Highest in the 2020s, at 305 per million.
Babies named Dorian per million US boys, by decade; highest in the 2020s
1880s0 per million
1890s0 per million
1900s0 per million
1910s2 per million
1920s5 per million
1930s6 per million
1940s21 per million
1950s26 per million
1960s41 per million
1970s128 per million
1980s122 per million
1990s198 per million
2000s295 per million
2010s274 per million
2020s305 per million
US rank by year
Year2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Rank#544#538#521#511#512#567#564#605#538#539

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 Dorian

One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.

  • DamianTo tame, subdue (Greek, boy)
  • DoronGift (Greek, boy)

Names with a similar meaning

  • ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
  • LiaItalian, Portuguese and Greek form of Leah (Hebrew, girl)
  • AgataGood, from Greek agathos (Greek, girl)
  • AresPerhaps from Greek words for bane, ruin, or male (Greek, boy)
  • AthenaMeaning unknown; the Greek goddess of wisdom (Greek, girl)
  • AtlasPossibly enduring, from Greek tlao, to endure (Greek, boy)
  • CatalinaSpanish form of Katherine, later linked to Greek pure (Greek, girl)
  • KeenanLittle ancient one (Irish Gaelic, boy)
  • KianAncient, enduring (Irish Gaelic, boy)
  • MariaGreek and Latin form of Miriam, of uncertain meaning (Hebrew, girl)

Middle names for Dorian

Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.

  • AsherHappy, blessed (Hebrew, boy)
  • ChaseHunter (English, boy)
  • EliAscended, uplifted (Hebrew, boy)
  • EzraHelp, assistance (Hebrew, boy)
  • LamarThe pool (Old French, boy)
  • LaneA narrow path (English, unisex)
  • RiverFlowing river (English, unisex)
  • ScottFrom Scotland (English, boy)

More boy names from Greek

  • AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
  • LucasMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
  • ChristianFollower of Christ (Greek, boy)
  • LeonA lion (Greek, boy)
  • HectorHolding fast (Greek, boy)
  • TheoGift of God (Greek, boy)
  • AlexisHelper, defender (Greek, boy)
  • LucaMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
  • PeterRock, stone (Greek, boy)
  • SebastianMan of sebaste, venerable (Greek, boy)

Dorian: common questions

What does the name Dorian mean?

Dorian comes from Greek and means "member of an ancient Greek tribe".

Is Dorian a boy or girl name?

Dorian is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 7 girls and 557 boys in the US were named Dorian, according to Social Security Administration data.

Where does the name Dorian come from?

Dorian comes from Greek and means "member of an ancient Greek tribe". Today it is used in English and French.

How popular is the name Dorian?

Dorian ranked #539 in the US in 2025, with 557 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

What names are similar to Dorian?

Names spelled like Dorian include Damian and Doron.

What middle names go with Dorian?

Middle names that flow well with Dorian include Asher, Chase, Eli, Ezra and Lamar. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.