The first name Daphne
A girl’s name from Greek meaning “laurel”, “bay”.
Pronounced /ˈdæfni/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Daphne means “laurel”, “bay” in Greek.
Borrowed from Ancient Greek δάφνη (dáphnē, “laurel, bay”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 390 girls were named Daphne, making it the 125th most popular girls’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Daphne with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Daphne at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,740 girls born in the United States were named Daphne, the 178th most popular girls’ name that year.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Daphne in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Daphne
26 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Daphne du MaurierBritish writer (1907–1989)
- Daphne ZunigaAmerican actress, born 1962
- Daphne AkhurstAustralian tennis player (1903–1933)
- Daphne OramBritish composer and electronic musician (1925–2003)
- Daphne GroeneveldDutch model, born 1994
- Daphne AshbrookAmerican actress (born 1963)
- Daphne van DomselaarDutch association football player (2000-)
- Daphne Maxwell ReidAmerican actress, comedian and former model (born 1948)
- Daphne ArdenBritish athlete and sprinter, born 1941
- Daphne GuinnessBritish and Irish artist and personality, born 1967
- Daphne PatakiaBelgian-Greek actress, born 1992
- Daphne OdjigCanadian artist (1919-2016)
More Greek girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Daphne mean?
- Daphne means “laurel”, “bay” in Greek.
- What is the origin of the name Daphne?
- Borrowed from Ancient Greek δάφνη (dáphnē, “laurel, bay”).
- How popular is the name Daphne?
- In 2025, 390 girls born in England and Wales were named Daphne, ranking 125th.
- What are nicknames for Daphne?
- Common nicknames for Daphne include Daffy, Daph.
- Is Daphne a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 44,189 US babies named Daphne since 1880 were girls.
- When was Daphne most popular?
- 2025 in the United States, when 1,740 babies were named Daphne, its highest rank at 178th.
- How do you pronounce Daphne?
- Daphne is /ˈdæfni/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Daphne?
- Daphnë.