D names: doors, deltas and dependable sounds
The Phoenician letter dalet meant "door", and the Greeks later shaped it into the triangle of delta. A door is a fair picture of D names. They are steady, compact and quick to say, made with a firm tap of the tongue behind the teeth.
Short names with a strong landing
D leans toward boys in our collection, with names such as Dean, Dylan, Diego, Dante and Dominic. Many are short enough to need no nickname, and the ones that do have friendly shortenings: Daniel becomes Danny, Dominic becomes Dom, and Dorothea becomes Thea or Dot.
Girls' names offer a softer side. Daisy and Dahlia are flowers, Dawn is the sunrise, Daphne is the laurel tree of Greek myth, and Delphine points to the oracle at Delphi. Diana, a Roman goddess of the hunt, may be the most classic of them all.
Names with a literary legacy
Dante has been a name since the Italian poet of the Divine Comedy, and Dorian carries the glamour of Oscar Wilde's novel. Dylan, from Welsh legend, means "son of the sea". Indian names add a lovely group around light, including Deepa and Deepak (lamp), Divya (divine) and Diya.
D names worth a closer look
- Delphine
A French name with a Greek root and the elegance of a place associated with prophecy.
- Dante
An Italian name that has fans among parents who love poetry and a strong, short meaning.
- Divya
A Sanskrit name that feels bright and is easy to say in many languages.
- Darragh
An Irish name that comes from the oak tree, sturdy and uncommon outside Ireland.
- Dalia
A Hebrew name that sounds like a flower and means a branch.
Famous people whose first names start with D
- David Attenborough, the naturalist and broadcaster
- Dolly Parton, the country singer and founder of the Imagination Library
- Dwight Eisenhower, the general and 34th president of the United States
- Dorothy Vaughan, the NASA mathematician and supervisor of the West Area Computers
- Dante Alighieri, the poet who wrote the Divine Comedy
- Desmond Tutu, the Archbishop and anti-apartheid leader who won the Nobel Peace Prize
- Diego Rivera, the Mexican muralist
Questions about D names
What does Dylan mean?
In Welsh tradition, Dylan means "son of the sea". It is used for boys and, increasingly, for girls.
Which D names have easy nicknames?
Daniel (Danny), Dominic (Dom), Dorothea (Thea), Deborah (Debbie) and Diana (Di) all shorten easily.