65+ Dazzling & Defiant D Names for Girls

Girl names that start with D have a complicated history in the United States. 

In its heyday, the letter “D” was holding it down as the No. 1 most popular first initial for girls every year between 1952 and 1960, according to Behind the Name. 

In that sense, the 1950s was the “golden age” of girl names starting with D. 

RELATED: These banned baby names and wild baby-naming laws will leave you speechless!

But fast forward to today and D girl names aren’t doing so well. 

The letter “d” fell as far back as 16th (out of 26) for first initials in 2016 and has now ranked 14th two years in a row dating back to 2023 — proving a lot can change over the course of six decades. 

And data from the Social Security Administration (SSA) backs that up. 

Of the 100 most popular girl names of the 1950s, when the letter “d” was peaking, 10 of them were girl names that start with D — and five of them ranked inside the top 50: 

Those 10 names accounted for more than 1.7 million of the nearly 20 million baby girls born in the United States in the 1950s, according to the SSA. 

Yet, they were nowhere to be found in the SSA’s top-100 most popular girl names of 2024. In fact, the only two D girl names to crack the top-100 last year were Delilah (50th) and Daisy (76th). 

In hopes of spurring a comeback, here are some D names for girls that could use a little love today!

Daphne

Origin: Greek

Meaning: Laurel

Daphne, pronounced DAF-nee, comes directly from the Greek word daphne, meaning “laurel.” In Greek mythology, Daphne is a Naiad-nymph who was turned into a laurel tree to escape the pursuit of Apollo.

Delaney

Origin: Norman French; Old Irish

Meaning: From the alder grove; Dark defiance

Delaney, pronounced duh-LAY-nee, either derives from the Norman French phrase de l'aunaie, meaning "from the alder grove,” or the Old Irish name Dubhshláine, meaning “dark defiance” or “black challenge.” 

Dahlia

Origin: Latin; Swedish; Old Norse

Meaning: Dahl’s flower; Flower valley

Dahlia, pronounced duh-LEE-uh or DAH-lee-uh, comes directly from the name of the flower, which was named after the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl. His last name derives from the Old Norse word dalr, meaning “valley.” 

Dakota

Origin: Native American

Meaning: Friendly; Native American people

Dakota, pronounced duh-KOH-tuh, comes from the name of the two American states North Dakota and South Dakota, which were named after a group of native peoples from the American plains. The name means “friendly” in the Dakota language.

Daniela

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: God is my judge; God’s judge

Daniela, pronounced dan-YEL-uh, is the feminine form of Daniel, which comes from the Hebrew name Daniyyel and is composed of the Hebrew elements din, meaning “to judge,” and el, meaning “God.” 

Danna

Origin: Hebrew; Persian

Meaning: God’s judge; God is my judge; Wise

Danna, pronounced DAN-uh, is a variant of Dana, which is the feminine form of Dan and Daniel, and is composed of the Hebrew elements din, meaning “to judge,” and el, meaning “God.” It could also derive from the Persian word dānā, meaning “wise.”

Dream

Origin: English

Meaning: Mental images while sleeping

Dream, pronounced DREEM, comes from the English word dream, referring to the series of thoughts, images, and sensations that occur in the mind during sleep. In Old English, dream meant “joy” and “music.”

Demi

Origin: Greek; French

Meaning: Earth mother; Goddess of agriculture; Half

Demi, pronounced DEH-mee, is often used as a nickname for Demetria and Demeter, meaning “earth mother.” In Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of agriculture. In French, demi means “half.” 

Daleyza

Origin: Italian; Latin

Meaning: Delightful; Pleasure

Daleyza, pronounced duh-LAY-zuh or duh-LEE-zuh, is believed to derive from the Italian word delizia and Latin word deliciae, meaning “delightful” or “pleasure.” It’s also considered an elaborate form of Dahlia.

Destiny

Origin: English; Old French; Latin

Meaning: Destiny; Fate

Destiny, pronounced DEH-stuh-nee, comes directly from the English word destiny (derived from Old French destinée and Latin destino), meaning “fate” or “the irresistible tendency of certain events to come about.” 

Dayana

Origin: Latin; Roman

Meaning: Divine; God-like

Dayana, pronounced DYE-an-uh, is a variant of Diana, which derives from the Latin word dia or diva, meaning “divine” or “god-like.” Other unique variants of Diana include Dianna, Deanna and Diane. 

Danielle

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: God is my judge; God’s judge

Danielle, pronounced DAN-yell, is the French feminine form of Daniel, which comes from the Hebrew name Daniyyel and is composed of the Hebrew elements din, meaning “to judge,” and el, meaning “God.”

Della

Origin: Germanic

Meaning: Noble type; Noble kind

Della, pronounced DEL-uh, is a shortened form of Adela, which derives from the Germanic element adal, meaning “noble,” or a diminutive of Adelaide, which is composed of the Germanic adal and heit, meaning “type.” 

Davina

Origin: Scottish; Hebrew

Meaning: Beloved; Uncle

Davina, pronounced duh-VEE-nuh, is a feminine form of David that originated in Scotland. David comes from the Hebrew name Dawid, which derives from the Hebrew word dod, meaning “beloved” or “uncle.” 

Dallas

Origin: American; Old English; Gaelic

Meaning: Valley house; Meadow dwelling; City in Texas

Dallas, pronounced DAL-iss, comes directly from the name of the city in Texas, which is believed to be named after former Vice President  George M. Dallas and either means “valley house” in Old English or “meadow dwelling” in Gaelic. 

Dulce

Origin: Spanish

Meaning: Candy; Sweet

Dulce, pronounced DUHL-chay or DOOL-say, comes directly from the Spanish word dulce, meaning “candy” or “sweet.” It was popularized by Mexican singer Dulce, who passed away in December 2024.

Dani

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: God’s judge; God is my judge

Dani, pronounced DAN-ee, is a diminutive of Danielle and Daniel, which comes from the Hebrew name Daniyyel and is composed of the Hebrew elements din, meaning “to judge,” and el, meaning “God.” 

Drew

Origin: English; Greek

Meaning: Manly; Masculine

Drew, pronounced DROO, is a shortened form of Andrew, which comes from the Greek name Andreas and derives from the Greek word andreios, meaning “manly” or “masculine,” and aner, meaning “man.”

Dylan

Origin: Welsh

Meaning: Born of the sea; Son of the sea

Dylan, pronounced DIL-ihn, comes from Welsh mythology where Dylan was a sea god. The name ultimately derives from Welsh elements dy, meaning “to” or “toward,” and llanw, meaning “tide” or “flow.”

Denver

Origin: American; Old English

Meaning: Dane ford; Capital city of Colorado

Denver, pronounced DEN-ver, comes directly from the name of the capital city of Colorado, which was named after politician James W. Denver. The name is believed to mean “Dane ford” in Old English. 

Darcy

Origin: Norman French

Meaning: From Arcy; Of Arcy

Darcy, pronounced DAHR-see, comes from the Norman French phrase d’Arcy, meaning “from Arcy” or “of Arcy,” with Arcy being a town in La Manche, France. Arcy is located in the Normandy region of France. 

Dior

Origin: French

Meaning: Golden; Fashion house

Dior, pronounced DEE-ohr, is believed to derive from the French word doré, meaning “golden.” It was popularized internationally by the French luxury fashion house Dior, founded by designer Christian Dior.

Dawn

Origin: English

Meaning: Morning; First light

Dawn, pronounced DAWN, comes directly from the English word dawn (derived from Old English dagung), meaning “to become day.” Dawn refers to the first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise. 

Dolores

Origin: Latin; Spanish

Meaning: Sorrow

Dolores, pronounced duh-LOHR-iss, comes from the Latin word dolor, meaning “sorrow.” It’s used in the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, which means “Our Lady of Sorrows.”

Doreen

Origin: Greek; Old Irish

Meaning: Gift; Sullen

Doreen, pronounced DOHR-een, derives from the Greek word doron, meaning “gift.” It’s the same Greek element found in the names Dorothy, Theodora and Isadora. It can also derive from the Old Irish word doireann, meaning “sullen.” 

Deanna

Origin: Latin; English

Meaning: Divine; God-like; Valley; College leader

Deanna, pronounced dee-AN-uh, is either used as a variant of Diana, which derives from the Latin word dia or diva, meaning “divine” or “god-like,” or a feminine form of Dean, meaning “valley” or “head of university.”  

Dora

Origin: Greek

Meaning: Gift

Dora, pronounced DOHR-uh, derives from the Greek word doron, meaning “gift,” and is often used as a shortened form of names starting with Dor, such as Dorothy, or ending with dora, such as Theodora and Isadora.

Dixie

Origin: 

Meaning: Southern-born; Ten; I have spoken

Dixie, pronounced DIKS-ee, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. The name is believed to derive from the French word dix, meaning “ten,” or the Latin word dixi, meaning “I have spoken.”

Darla

Origin: English

Meaning: Beloved; Dearly loved

Darla, pronounced DAHR-luh, is a variant of Darlene, which is believed to come from the English word darling (derived from the Old English word deorling), meaning “beloved” or a “dearly loved person.”

Denice

Origin: French; Greek

Meaning: Follower of Dionysius

Denice, is a variant of Denise, which is a feminine form of Denis and, ultimately, derived from the Greek name Dionysios. In Greek mythology, Dionysios was the god of wine, revelry, fertility and dance. 

Dee

Origin: Varies

Meaning: Varies

Dee, pronounced DEE, can be used as a nickname for all girl names that start with D. It can also refer to the Dee River, a river in Scotland flowing from the Cairngorm Mountains to the North Sea at Aberdeen. 

Dorothea

Origin: Greek

Meaning: Gift of God; God’s gift

Dorothea, pronounced dohr-uh-THEE-uh, comes from the Greek name Dorotheos, which is composed of the Greek elements doron, meaning “gift,” and theos, meaning “god.” It can also be spelled Dorothy. 

Dinah

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: To judge

Dinah, pronounced DYE-nuh or DEE-nuh, comes directly from the Hebrew word din, meaning “to judge” or “be judged.” In the Bible, Dinah was the only daughter of Jacob and Leah, born after their six sons. 

Dolly

Origin: Spanish; Greek

Meaning: Sorrow; God’s gift

Dolly, pronounced DAH-lee, is primarily used as a nickname for Dolores, meaning “sorrow” in Spanish, or Dorothy, meaning “God’s gift” in Greek. It was widely popularized in the United States by Dolly Parton. 

Dottie

Origin: Greek

Meaning: God’s gift; Gift of God

Dottie, pronounced DAH-tee, is primarily used as a nickname for Dorothy, which comes from the Greek name Dorotheos and is composed of the elements doron, meaning “gift,” and theos, meaning “god.”

Delphine

Origin: Latin; Greek

Meaning: Of Delphi; Womb

Delphine, pronounced DEL-feen, comes from the Latin name Delphinus, meaning “of Delphi,” with Delphi being an ancient city in Greece. It’s possibly derived from the Greek word delphys, meaning “womb.”  

Dorinda

Origin: Invented; Greek

Meaning: Gift

Dorinda, pronounced doh-RIN-duh or duh-RIN-duh, is believed to be an elaboration of Dora, meaning “gift” in Greek. One of its earliest known uses was in John Dryden and William D'Avenant 1667 play “The Enchanted Island.”

Daria

Origin: Old Persian

Meaning: Possessively good

Daria, pronounced DAHR-ee-uh, DAIR-ee-uh or duh-REE-uh, is the feminine form of Darius, which is composed of the Old Persian elements daraya, meaning “to possess,” and vau, meaning “good.” 

Delma

Origin: Old German

Meaning: My father protects

Delma, pronounced DEL-muh, is believed to be a variant of Adelma and, ultimately, Adhelm, which is composed of the Old German elements atto, meaning "father," and helm, meaning “protection."

Desiree

Origin: English; French; Latin

Meaning: Desired; Wished for

Desiree, pronounced DEH-zuh-ray, comes from the English word desire (derived from Old French desirrer and Latin desiderare), meaning “to wish for.” Other ways to spell this name include Desirae and Deziree. 

Deirdre

Origin: Old Irish

Meaning: Daughter

Deirdre, pronounced DEER-druh, comes from the Old Irish name Derdriu, which is believed to derive from the Old Irish word der, meaning “daughter.” In Irish legend, Deirdre is a tragic heroine known as "Deirdre of the Sorrows.” 

Daevy

Origin: Hebrew; Khmer

Meaning: Beloved; Angel

Daevy, pronounced DAY-vee, is a modern diminutive of David, which comes from the Hebrew name Dawid and derives from the Hebrew word dod, meaning “beloved” or “uncle.” Other theories suggest it means “angel” in Khmer. 

Danica

Origin: Slavic

Meaning: Morning star; Venus

Danica, pronounced DAN-ih-kuh, derives from the Slavic word dĭnĭnica, meaning “morning star” or “Venus.” In Slavic folklore, Danica is a personification of the morning star that represents dusk. 

Didi

Origin: Varies

Meaning: Varies

Didi, pronounced DEE-dee, doesn’t have one particular meaning. It’s often used as a nickname for names that start with D and can also be spelled Deedee or Dee-dee, if you like hyphenated baby girl names. 

Darling

Origin: English

Meaning: Beloved one; Favorite

Darling, pronounced DAHR-ling, comes directly from the English word darling (derived from Old English deorling and dyrling), meaning “one who is much beloved” or “a favorite.” It’s often used as a nickname.

Dee-Dee

Origin: Varies 

Meaning: Varies

Dee-Dee, pronounced DEE-dee, doesn’t have one particular meaning, as it’s often used as a nickname for girl names that start with D. It can also be a good nickname for someone with D.D. as their initials. 

Desdemona

Origin: Greek

Meaning: Ill-fated

Desdemona, pronounced DEZ-dih-moh-nuh, comes from the Greek word dysdaimon, meaning “ill-fated.” It was popularized by William Shakespeare, who named Othello’s wife Desdemona in the hit 1603 play. 

Dove

Origin: English

Meaning: White bird

Dove, pronounced DUV, comes directly from the English word for the white bird, ultimately derived from the Middle English word douve. Doves primarily symbolize peace, love, hope, and new beginnings. 

Dominique

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Of the Lord; Belonging to the Lord

Dominique, pronounced DAH-muh-neek, is a feminine form of Dominic and Dominicus, which means “of the Lord” in Latin. Saint Dominic was the founder of the Dominican Order and patron saint of astronomers and natural scientists.  

Derryn

Origin: Unknown

Meaning: Gift; From Airelle

Derryn, pronounced DAIR-in, is of unknown origin, but could be linked to the Greek word doron, meaning “gift.” Other theories link it to the name Darren or Darrell, which means “from Airelle” in Norman French. 

Darby

Origin: English; Old Norse

Meaning: Animal farm; Animal town

Darby, pronounced DAHR-bee, originated as an English place name (in the East Midlands of England) derived from the Old Norse words djúr, meaning "animal," and býr, meaning "farm” or “settlement.”

Devyn

Origin: English; French

Meaning: God-like; Divine

Devyn, pronounced DEH-vin, is a variant of Devin, which is believed to come from the Old French word devin, meaning “divine” or “god-like.” In English, divine means “of, relating to, or proceeding directly from God.” 

Deborah

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: Bee

Deborah, pronounced duh-BOHR-uh or DEB-uh-ruh, comes from the Hebrew name Devora, which means “bee” in Hebrew. In the bible, Deborah is a judge, as well as one of the five female prophets. 

Debra

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: Bee

Debra, pronounced DEB-ruh, is a shortened form of Deborah, which comes from the Hebrew name Devora, which means “bee” in Hebrew. Other variants include Debs, Debby, Debbey, DeeDee and Debrah.

Donna

Origin: Italian; Irish

Meaning: Lady; Ruler of the World

Donna, pronounced DAH-nuh, comes directly from the Italian word donna, meaning “lady.” It can also be used as a diminutive, nickname or feminine form of Donald, which means “ruler of the world” in Irish. 

Diane

Origin: French; Latin

Meaning: Goddess

Diane, pronounced DYE-an, is the French form of Diana, which derives from the Latin word diva or dia, meaning “goddess.” In Roman mythology, Diana is the goddess of the hunt, wild animals and childbirth.

Denise

Origin: French; Greek

Meaning: Follower of Dionysus

Denise, pronounced duh-NEES, is the French feminine of Denis, which comes from the Greek name Dionysos and is composed of the Greek elements Dios, meaning “Zeus,” and Nysa, an ancient Greek region. 

Debbie

Origin: English; Hebrew

Meaning: Bee

Debbie, pronounced DEH-bee, is a diminutive of Deborah, which comes from the Hebrew name Devora, meaning “bee” in Hebrew. In the bible, Deborah is a judge, as well as one of the five female prophets.

Diana

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Goddess

Diana, pronounced DYE-an-uh, derives from the Latin word diva or dia, meaning “goddess.” In Roman mythology, Diana is the goddess of the hunt, wild animals, the moon, the wilderness and childbirth.

Dorothy

Origin: English; Greek

Meaning: Gift of God; God’s gift

Dorothy, pronounced DOHR-uh-thee or DOHR-thee, is a variant of Dorothea, which comes from the Greek name Dorotheos and is composed of the Greek elements doron, meaning “gift,” and theos, meaning “god.”

Darlene

Origin: English

Meaning: Beloved one; Favorite

Darlene, pronounced DAHR-leen, is a variant of Darling, which comes directly from the English word darling (from Old English deorling and dyrling), meaning “one who is much beloved” or “a favorite.”

Doris

Origin: Greek

Meaning: Dorian woman; Oceanid nymph

Doris, pronounced DOHR-iss, comes directly from the Greek name Doris, meaning “Dorian woman.” In Greek mythology, Doris is an Oceanid nymph, wife of the sea god Nereus and mother of the Nereids.

Delilah

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: Delicate; Weak

Delilah, pronounced duh-LYE-luh or duh-LEE-luh, comes from a Hebrew word meaning “delicate” or “weak.” In the Bible, Delilah is the lover of Samson who betrays him by cutting off the source of his power (his hair). 

Daisy

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Day eye

Daisy, pronounced DAY-zee, comes from the Old English phrase dægeseage meaning "day's eye," referring to how the flower opens at dawn. The flower is known for its white petals and sunny center.

Demetra

Origin: Greek

Meaning: Earth mother; Goddess of agriculture

Demetra, pronounced duh-MEE-truh, is the Italian and Romanian form of Demeter, which means “Earth mother” in Greek and refers to the goddess of agriculture and Zeus’s sister in ancient Greek mythology.

Deja

Origin: French

Meaning: Already

Deja, pronounced DAY-zhuh, comes directly from the French word deja, meaning “already.” Many American speakers know this word from the French phrase deja vu, meaning “already seen.” 

Not Interested In Girl Names That Start With D?

Girl names that start with D aren’t as popular as they once were. 

Despite the wide range of options parents have to choose from (including flower names like Daisy and Dahlia, and classic names like Donna and Debra) parents today are more interested in other first initials.

But that’s okay — after all, there are 25 other letters of the alphabet to discover!

In 2024, the most popular first initial was A, which accounted for more than 15% of all names given to baby girls that year. For reference, E came in second at just 8.9%. 

The letters M, S and L rounded out the top-five most popular first initials for girls in 2024. 

That’s why it’s no surprise to see names like Emma, Amelia, Mia, Sophia, Evelyn, Ava and Sofia all rank inside the Social Security’s top-10 most popular girls names of 2024. 

Of course, everyone has different preferences — and that’s where Mod Moms Club comes into play. 

ALSO ON MOD MOMS CLUB: The Ultimate List of 4 Letter Names for Girls

Aside from our baby name lists (like the one above), we have an extensive baby name generator that allows you to narrow down a list of baby names based on your own personal preferences, so don’t miss it!