Entry № 1350 · Greek origin

Daphne Daphne — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ DAF-nee /
Gender
Girl
Origin
Greek
Meaning
"Laurel tree"
Syllables
2
Rank · US 2025
№ 192
First recorded
Ancient (Greek)

A name that means "laurel tree".

Daphne comes from the Greek daphnē (δάφνη), meaning "laurel tree." In Greek mythology, Daphne was a nymph who, fleeing the unwanted love of Apollo, was transformed by her father into a laurel tree at the moment of capture. Apollo's symbol — the laurel wreath — comes from this myth.

Daphne has been rising rapidly in the U.S. since 2010. The character Daphne Bridgerton in Julia Quinn's novels and Netflix's Bridgerton brought the name international visibility. Today Daphne sits in the U.S. top 200.

Laurel tree. The nymph who escaped Apollo by becoming a tree.

The name in its native script.

δάφνη
Transliteration
Dáphnē
Pronunciation
/ ˈdæf.ni /
Root
Grammatical form

Where Daphne stands.

Current rank · 2025
№ 192 in the U.S.
All-time peak
№ 192 in 2025
Babies named Daphne · last year
1647 in the U.S.
First entered SSA top-1000
1880
Rank, 1995–2025 Lower = more popular
№25 №75 №150 №250 1995 2005 2015 2020 2025 PEAK · №192 NOW · №192

Daphnes before her.

Real people
Daphne du Maurier
British author of Rebecca.
1907 – 1989
Daphne Zuniga
American actress.
born 1962
In fiction
Daphne Bridgerton
Heroine of Julia Quinn's The Duke and I.
2000 novel
Daphne Blake
Character in Scooby-Doo.
1969 onward

Names connected to Daphne.

The number behind Daphne.

8

The Authority

Daphne reduces to eight — the number of rooted transformation.

Why families chose this name.

"She turned into a tree rather than be taken. We loved the myth as much as the sound."
Eleni · Mother of one · Athens