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)
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- Hungarian
The Story of Dorian
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Dorian as a girl name dates back to 1919, when 7 babies received it. 1983 was its biggest year on record, with 125 newborns named Dorian — #1,096 in the national rankings. About 20% of every Dorian on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Dorian ranks #9,918 for girls with 5 births, falling sharply (-46%). All told, over 5K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to 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. The name hit its high-water mark in 2008: 641 births, good for #441 nationwide. About 24% of every Dorian on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Dorian ranks #561 for boys with 520 births, holding steady (-4%). All told, over 25K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to 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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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 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "D" →
- Browse all boy names →
- 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.