Boy · #807 in 2026

Darius

Darius is an English-rendered masculine given name of Persian origin, derived from the original name Dariush.

Current Rank
#807
Peak Rank
#152 (1994)
Total Babies
54K
5-Yr Trend
-31%
1965
First Year
2007
Last Year
1989
Peak Year
#4357
Peak Rank
272
Total Count
30
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Darius

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Darius is an English-rendered masculine given name of Persian origin, derived from the original name Dariush.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
The name's origins trace back to Old Persian : 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 Dārayavauš , which is composed of .mw-parser-output .script-Cprt{font-size:1.25em;font-family:"Segoe UI Historic","Noto Sans Cypriot",Code2001}.mw-parser-output .script-Hano{font-size:125%;font-family:"Noto Sans Hanunoo",FreeSerif,Quivira}.mw-parser-output .script-Latf,.mw-parser-output .script-de-Latf{font-size:1.25em;font-family:"Breitkopf Fraktur",UnifrakturCook,UniFrakturMaguntia,MarsFraktur,"MarsFraktur OT",KochFraktur,"KochFraktur OT",OffenbacherSchwabOT,"LOB.AlteSchwabacher","LOV.AlteSchwabacher","LOB.AtlantisFraktur","LOV.At

The Story of Darius

Darius first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 10 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1994, when 2,184 Dariuss were born — ranking #155 that year. As of 2026, Darius ranks #807 for baby boys with 315 births, falling sharply (-31%). In total, more than 54K Dariuss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Darius

Phonetically similar names — useful when Darius is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Dryas
  • Dermis
  • Dyas
  • Dryness
  • Driest
  • Dryest
  • Dreyfus
  • Dras
  • Dyess
  • Dress
  • Dris
  • Driss

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Darius

What does the name Darius mean?
Darius is an English-rendered masculine given name of Persian origin, derived from the original name Dariush.
How popular is Darius in 2026?
In 2026, Darius ranks #807 among boys' names in the U.S., with 315 babies given the name that year.
When was Darius most popular?
Darius reached its peak popularity in 1994, ranking #152 that year with 2,184 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Darius most popular?
Darius has historically been most popular in Mississippi, South Carolina, District of Columbia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Darius.
Is Darius a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Darius is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Darius?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Darius include Andres, Ace, Sherman. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Darius

Darius is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 54K births in the dataset. Darius's peak popularity came in 1994 when it ranked #152. Use the chart and map above to compare Darius's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.