Dorian
Dorian is a given name of Greek origin. In Greek, the meaning of the name Dorian is of Doris, a district of Ancient Greece, or of Dorus, a legendary Greek hero. Dorus was a son of Hellen, the eponymous progenitor of the Hellenes. Dorus is thought to be the founder of the Dorian tribe.
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Meaning & Origin of Dorian
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Dorian is a given name of Greek origin. In Greek, the meaning of the name Dorian is of Doris, a district of Ancient Greece, or of Dorus, a legendary Greek hero. Dorus was a son of Hellen, the eponymous progenitor of the Hellenes. Dorus is thought to be the founder of the Dorian tribe.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- French
- Romanian
- Polish
- Hungarian
The Story of Dorian
As a girl name
Dorian first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1919, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1983, when 125 Dorians were born — ranking #1,096 that year. As of 2026, Dorian ranks #9,918 for girls with 5 births, falling sharply (-46%). In total, more than 5K Dorians have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Dorian first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1915, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2008, when 641 Dorians were born — ranking #441 that year. As of 2026, Dorian ranks #561 for boys with 520 births, holding steady (-4%). In total, more than 25K Dorians have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Dorian
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Dorian. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Dorian
Phonetically similar names — useful when Dorian 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 Dorian
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Is Dorian a unisex name?
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About the name Dorian
Dorian is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 25K births in the dataset. Dorian's peak popularity came in 2008 when it ranked #398. Use the chart and map above to compare Dorian's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2008 →
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- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.