Damascus
Damascus (دِمَشْق) is the capital and largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital city in the world. Known colloquially in Syria as aš-Šām and dubbed, poetically, the "City of Jasmine", Damascus is a major cultural center of the Levant and the Arab world.
Meaning & Origin of Damascus
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Damascus (دِمَشْق) is the capital and largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital city in the world. Known colloquially in Syria as aš-Šām and dubbed, poetically, the "City of Jasmine", Damascus is a major cultural center of the Levant and the Arab world.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Origin & history
The Story of Damascus
Damascus first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1967, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1981, when 8 Damascuss were born — ranking #4,509 that year. As of 2026, Damascus ranks #10,889 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 129 Damascuss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Damascus
Phonetically similar names — useful when Damascus is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Damascus
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About the name Damascus
Damascus is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1967 and has accumulated 129 births in the dataset. Damascus's peak popularity came in 1981 when it ranked #4,509. Use the chart and map above to compare Damascus's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1981 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "D" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.