Boy name · Greek
Dorian
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: member of an ancient Greek tribeDorian 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
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 2 per million |
| 1920s | 5 per million |
| 1930s | 6 per million |
| 1940s | 21 per million |
| 1950s | 26 per million |
| 1960s | 41 per million |
| 1970s | 128 per million |
| 1980s | 122 per million |
| 1990s | 198 per million |
| 2000s | 295 per million |
| 2010s | 274 per million |
| 2020s | 305 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.

