Darius
Boy name · Greek · Latin · Persian
Meaningpossessing good · Persian
- US rank
- #788
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #152 in 1991
322 babies were named Darius in the US in 2025. It has dropped 196 places in five years.
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Darius you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Darius
Darius Milhaud
French composer (1892–1974)
Choose Darius and your child shares a first name with Darius Milhaud, a French composer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Darius, like who?” Darius Milhaud's Wikipedia article is available in 45 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Darius Milhaud on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Agence de presse Meurisse, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 5,305 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Darius, 322 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Darius would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryDarius has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Dariuss, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1991, when it ranked #152. Today it's #788, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowDarius was 4.2× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 1,256 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 5,305.
- TrendDarius has slipped 196 places over the last five years and now sits at #788. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedDarius is most popular in Oklahoma, where it ranks #504, followed by Utah (#515) and Missouri (#518). It's in the top 1,000 in 22 states.
- MeaningIn Persian, Darius means “possessing good”. Our records link it to Greek, Latin and Persian roots.
- OriginDarius is the #4 most popular Persian boy name in the US. That's out of 30 Persian boy and unisex names in our list.
About the name Darius
Darius is a boy name of Greek, Latin and Persian origin meaning “possessing good”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with D and ending in “-ius”. US birth records list Darius for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 120 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1991, when it ranked #152 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #788, with 322 babies.
Origin:Greek namesLatin namesPersian names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 20 | 50,633 boys |
| 1890s | 8.4 | 118,765 boys |
| 1910s | 19 | 52,521 boys |
| 1920s | 16 | 62,073 boys |
| 1930s | 16 | 62,228 boys |
| 1940s | 17 | 59,488 boys |
| 1950s | 29 | 34,795 boys |
| 1960s | 72 | 13,930 boys |
| 1970s | 191 | 5,238 boys |
| 1980s | 384 | 2,605 boys |
| 1990s | 1,009 | 991 boys |
| 2000s | 625 | 1,601 boys |
| 2010s | 347 | 2,878 boys |
| 2020s | 225 | 4,436 boys |
Other spellings of Darius
More Greek boy names
- Boy name: Theodore · gift of God
- Boy name: Mateo · gift of God
- Boy name: Lucas · man from Lucania
- Unisex name: Elias · my God is Yahweh
- Boy name: Sebastian · venerable
- Boy name: Leo · lion
- Boy name: Thomas · twin
- Unisex name: Miles · possibly gracious
Questions about the name Darius
What does the name Darius mean?
Darius means “possessing good” in Persian.
What is the origin of the name Darius?
Darius has Greek, Latin, Persian roots in our records. Other Greek names include Theodore, Mateo, Lucas.
Is Darius a boy or girl name?
Darius is a boy name.
How popular is the name Darius?
Darius ranked #788 for US boys in 2025, given to 322 babies. Its best year was 1991 (#152).