Daphne
Girl name · #178 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Daphne? In official American birth records, Daphne has been tracked continuously since 1886, giving it 139 years of documented American history.
Daphne ranks #178 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 1,740 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #378, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,034 girls born in 2025 was named Daphne.
The 139-year story
Daphne first appears in the Social Security records in 1886, when 6 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 1,740 babies and a rank of #178. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Daphne per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Daphne against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Daphne in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Daphne is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Daphne is most common
Geography matters for names, and Daphne is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Daphne is most common in UT (2.4 per 1,000), OR (2.4 per 1,000), ID (2.2 per 1,000), CT (2 per 1,000), CO (1.9 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.3 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Daphne is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Daphne
Statistically, parents drawn to Daphne tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Celine, Noelle, Phoebe, Sloane, and Vivienne.
CelineNoellePhoebeSloaneVivienneDahliaCelesteColette
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Daphne | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,740 | #178 |
| 2024 | 1,568 | #193 |
| 2023 | 1,266 | #241 |
| 2022 | 1,132 | #281 |
| 2021 | 1,103 | #288 |
| 2020 | 753 | #414 |
| 2019 | 734 | #435 |
| 2018 | 808 | #384 |
| 2017 | 812 | #385 |
| 2016 | 819 | #407 |
| 2015 | 864 | #378 |
| 2014 | 919 | #355 |
| 2013 | 777 | #396 |
| 2012 | 744 | #421 |
| 2011 | 673 | #451 |
| 2010 | 618 | #489 |
| 2009 | 649 | #477 |
| 2008 | 571 | #539 |
| 2007 | 512 | #584 |
| 2006 | 478 | #611 |
| 2005 | 520 | #554 |
| 2004 | 478 | #589 |
| 2003 | 460 | #594 |
| 2002 | 465 | #569 |
| 2001 | 597 | #466 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Daphne?
In official American birth records, the name Daphne first appeared in 1886 (over 139 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Daphne a popular girl name?
Daphne ranked #178 among girls in 2025 with 1,740 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #378.
When was the name Daphne most popular?
Daphne peaked in 2025, when 1,740 American girls received the name (ranked #178 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Daphne?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,034 newborn American girls was named Daphne. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.