Damian Name Meaning

The name Damian is of Greek origin and is composed of two distinct words: “damao” meaning “to tame” and “ianos” meaning “God’s gift”. The name and its variations first appeared in ancient Greece, most notably in the works of the Roman poet Ovid. In the poem “Metamorphoses”, he tells the story of a young man, Damon, who is in love with a girl named Philomela. Damon’s love for Philomela is so strong that it leads him to sacrifice his life in order to save her.

Origin and Meaning of Damian

The name Damian was derived from the story of Damon and his selfless act of love, which was later interpreted to mean “tamer of gods”. This interpretation has since been popularized and the name Damian is now associated with many positive characteristics, such as loyalty, strength, and courage.

Popularity of Damian

The name Damian has been popular since the early Middle Ages and has seen a surge in popularity since the late 20th century. In the United States, the name peaked in popularity in 2015, when it was the 166th most popular name for boys. The name is also popular in other countries around the world, such as Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Conclusion

The name Damian has a rich history, full of stories and legends that have been interpreted to give the name a unique meaning. With its strong associations of loyalty, strength, and courage, the name Damian has been popular for centuries and continues to be a popular choice for naming boys today.

Infographic of Damian name meaning, which is A variant of Damianos, Damian is a Greek name meaning to tame.
Ask your friends & family about Damian…

Damian Name Popularity

How popular is the name Damian? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 — 0 0%
1911 — 0 0%
1912 — 0 0%
1913 — 0 0%
1914 — 0 0%
1915 — 0 0%
1916 — 0 0%
1917 — 0 0%
1918 — 0 0%
1919 — 0 0%
1920 — 0 0%
1921 — 0 0%
1922 — 0 0%
1923 — 0 0%
1924 — 0 0%
1925 1,571 5 0.0004%
1926 — 0 0%
1927 — 0 0%
1928 — 0 0%
1929 — 0 0%
1930 — 0 0%
1931 — 0 0%
1932 — 0 0%
1933 — 0 0%
1934 — 0 0%
1935 — 0 0%
1936 — 0 0%
1937 — 0 0%
1938 — 0 0%
1939 1,235 6 0.0006%
1940 1,351 5 0.0005%
1941 — 0 0%
1942 — 0 0%
1943 1,221 7 0.0005%
1944 — 0 0%
1945 1,307 5 0.0004%
1946 1,360 6 0.0004%
1947 1,464 5 0.0003%
1948 1,304 7 0.0004%
1949 1,005 18 0.0011%
1950 1,048 16 0.001%
1951 1,117 13 0.0008%
1952 847 32 0.0018%
1953 1,277 9 0.0005%
1954 899 29 0.0016%
1955 775 48 0.0026%
1956 790 49 0.0026%
1957 795 47 0.0024%
1958 773 53 0.0028%
1959 714 70 0.0037%
1960 685 83 0.0044%
1961 678 83 0.0044%
1962 624 107 0.0058%
1963 585 135 0.0075%
1964 570 145 0.0082%
1965 611 109 0.0067%
1966 572 123 0.0079%
1967 579 125 0.0082%
1968 464 230 0.0153%
1969 474 220 0.0143%
1970 447 288 0.0181%
1971 419 332 0.0221%
1972 295 588 0.0432%
1973 281 618 0.0477%
1974 243 794 0.0611%
1975 234 843 0.0656%
1976 212 956 0.0742%
1977 213 1,028 0.0763%
1978 243 825 0.0614%
1979 296 643 0.0456%
1980 325 550 0.0376%
1981 342 481 0.0327%
1982 321 555 0.0371%
1983 343 493 0.0334%
1984 341 510 0.0343%
1985 371 454 0.0299%
1986 368 470 0.0311%
1987 363 494 0.0324%
1988 343 583 0.0374%
1989 309 743 0.046%
1990 322 752 0.0454%
1991 277 934 0.0573%
1992 261 1,052 0.0659%
1993 252 1,107 0.071%
1994 216 1,332 0.0868%
1995 222 1,329 0.0882%
1996 214 1,387 0.0926%
1997 205 1,481 0.1001%
1998 207 1,543 0.1031%
1999 221 1,511 0.1009%
2000 206 1,697 0.1111%
2001 190 1,942 0.1289%
2002 163 2,332 0.1556%
2003 163 2,441 0.1605%
2004 160 2,506 0.1644%
2005 157 2,606 0.1704%
2006 139 2,959 0.189%
2007 137 2,967 0.188%
2008 133 3,058 0.1979%
2009 128 3,322 0.2223%
2010 121 3,357 0.233%
2011 138 2,992 0.21%
2012 99 3,826 0.2685%
2013 98 3,945 0.2771%
2014 102 3,864 0.2652%
2015 116 3,457 0.2376%
2016 124 3,321 0.2303%
2017 120 3,288 0.2356%
2018 109 3,518 0.2561%
2019 113 3,422 0.2528%
2020 108 3,253 0.2556%
2021 113 3,256 0.2664%

Alaska (AK)

Alabama (AL)

Arkansas (AR)

Arizona (AZ)

California (CA)

Colorado (CO)

Connecticut (CT)

District of Columbia (DC)

Delaware (DE)

Florida (FL)

Georgia (GA)

Hawaii (HI)

Iowa (IA)

Idaho (ID)

Illinois (IL)

Indiana (IN)

Kansas (KS)

Kentucky (KY)

Louisiana (LA)

Massachusetts (MA)

Maryland (MD)

Maine (ME)

Michigan (MI)

Minnesota (MN)

Missouri (MO)

Mississippi (MS)

Montana (MT)

North Carolina (NC)

North Dakota (ND)

Nebraska (NE)

New Hampshire (NH)

New Jersey (NJ)

New Mexico (NM)

Nevada (NV)

New York (NY)

Ohio (OH)

Oklahoma (OK)

Oregon (OR)

Pennsylvania (PA)

Rhode Island (RI)

South Carolina (SC)

South Dakota (SD)

Tennessee (TN)

Texas (TX)

Utah (UT)

Virginia (VA)

Vermont (VT)

Washington (WA)

Wisconsin (WI)

West Virginia (WV)

Wyoming (WY)

Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Damian

If you like Damian, you’ll love these other names like Damian.

What names are variants of Damian?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Damian.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Daemon

Greek

Daimen

Greek

Daimon

Greek

Daman

One who tames, subdues

Greek

Damen

Greek

Dameon

Greek

Damiano

Form of Damian

Greek

Damianos

To tame

Greek

Damianus

Greek

Damien

To tame

French

Damion

Tame, subdue

Greek

Damon

One who tames, subdues

Greek

Damyan

Greek

Damyen

Greek

Damyon

Greek

Dayman

Greek

Daymian

Greek

Daymon

One who tames, subdues

Greek

Demyan

Greek

What names sound like Damian?

If you like how Damian sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Damian.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Damone

American

Domini

Lord

Latin

Domino

Lord, master

Latin

Dominy

Lord

Latin

Tammany

Native American

Teman

From the south

Hebrew

Lists With Damian

Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Damian.

Siblings of Damian

Mamas with kids named Damian also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Simone

Hear, listen

Hebrew

Julian

Young at heart

Latin

4 Comments

  1. Damian rhymes with my oldest son’s name and starts with a “D” like my name. My oldest son’s name starts with a “J” like my husband’s name. Also, they both rhyme with my younger brothers’ name. Damian is a name I always loved and considered it for both my brother and my oldest son’s name, but was afraid bullies might call him “Demon” or something like that. But this time around I decided that if that happens I will teach my Damian to stand up for himself. Also it was important for us to pick a name that could be pronounced easily in Spanish and English and that it went well with a Spanish last name

    Reply

  2. I liked the sound of it mainly and it was important to me for our boy to have both our ethnic roots incorporated. It needed to be easy to pronounce in Spanish, for my parents and something that felt a bit less trendy. Damian paired well with my fianc?’s Polish last name too. However, the drawback is that there are no real nicknames I would use for this name. regardless I’m more than happy with my son’s name.

    Reply

  3. How and why did you chose the name Damian? In honor of my heritage, I wanted a name that could be easily pronounced in Spanish but also in English.

    What do you like (or dislike) about the name Damian? I love that is not a common name, dislike that is easily misspelled, some assuming it’s Damien or Damion

    Anything else you want to share about Damian? I’m in love with my baby’s name, it fits him very well but dislike when ignorant people bring up that it is the name of the Devil’s son ? like really? How old are you?

    Reply

  4. Liked it

    Reply

Share your thoughts on the name Damian

Your email address will not be published. All fields are required *

*