Boy · #10,889 in 2026

Demon

Name: Popularity of the name Demon in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Demon, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

A demon is an evil or malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in media including fiction, comics, film, television, and video games.

Ancient Greek

Current Rank

#10,889

Peak Rank

#1,471 (1974)

Total Babies

845

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1969

First Year

2024

Last Year

1974

Peak Year

#1471

Peak Rank

845

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Demon

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

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Further information: Daemon (classical mythology) , Agathodaemon , Cacodemon , Daimonic , and Eudaimonia Mephistopheles (a medieval demon from German folklore ) flying over Wittenberg , in a lithograph by Eugène Delacroix . The Ancient Greek word δαίμων ( daimōn ) denotes a spirit or divine power, much like the Latin genius or numen . Daimōn most likely came from the Greek verb daiesthai ( ' to divide ' or ' distribute ' ). The Greek conception of a daimōn notably appears in the philosophical works of Plato , where it describes the divine inspiration of Socrates . The original Greek word daimō

Origin & history

From an anthropological perspective, demons result from human fear of the unknown. Forces of nature and foreigners may be portrayed as demons if they are perceived as hostile or dangerous; an evil demon might be considered as a projection onto unknown entities which are perceived as potentially dangerous. Thus, unknown causes of death or illness are anthropomorphized into rational agents with evil intentions and then giving raise to the notion of a demon. Likewise, people outside one's own social group may be blamed for accidents and unexplained causes of harm, leading to a demonization of sai

The Story of Demon

American parents first put Demon on the record books as a baby boy name in 1969, with 10 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1974, when 35 Demons were born — ranking #1,471 that year. About 29% of every Demon on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. Demon last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 845 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Variants & Related Forms of Demon

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Demon. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Demeas

Names that sound like Demon

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

Deamon
Daemon
Deman
Damon
Dimon
Damen
Daman
Daimon
Doman
Demone
Duman
Dammen

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Demon

What does the name Demon mean?

What is the origin of the name Demon?

Demon has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Ancient Greek.

How popular is Demon in 2026?

In 2026, Demon ranks #10,889 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Demon most popular?

Demon reached its peak popularity in 1974, ranking #1,471 that year with 35 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Demon most popular?

Demon has historically been most popular in Louisiana, Michigan, Georgia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Demon.

Is Demon a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Demon is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Demon?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Demon include Silverio, Tonya, Shaan. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Demon?

Common variants and related forms of Demon include Demeas. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Demon

Demon is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1969 and has accumulated 845 births in the dataset. Demon's peak popularity came in 1974 when it ranked #1,471. Use the chart and map above to compare Demon'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.