155 D Names for Boys and What They Mean

Updated
From Dorian to Dwayne, meet 155 D names with real backstories.

Finding inspiration for your unborn child’s name is tricky, especially with so many choices! Where do you even start? A good option is to check out letters of the alphabet, so where better to start than with these cool boy names that start with D?

From Dorian to Dallas, D names for boys don’t have to be humdrum. So, let’s explore the range and character of these daring and distinguished male names that start with D.


Popularity at a Glance

The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Daniel, David, Damian, Diego and Dallas.

DanielDavidDamianDiegoDallas196519952025
Daniel, David, Damian, Diego, Dallas in the United States, each scaled to its own peak so the shapes can be compared, 1965 to 2025. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.

155 Boy Names With D

Choosing guy names that start with D is a great way to find the perfect moniker.

  1. Da – this snappy Chinese male name means “intelligent, achieve, and arrive.”
  2. Dacre – a family name with roots in Northern England, meaning “trickling stream.”
  3. Dael – an alternative spelling of Dale, meaning “valley.”
  4. Daelyn – is an Old English variation of Dale, meaning “small valley.”
  5. Daffy – derived from the Greek name Daphne, meaning “laurel tree.”
  6. Dagwood – a classic English name meaning “from the bright one’s forest” and “Daggerwood.”
  7. Daiki– a Japanese boy’s name pairing 大 (dai) “great” with 輝 (ki) “radiance,” so it reads as “great and shining.”
  8. Dakari– a respelling of the Shona name Dakarai from Zimbabwe, one of many African boy names, meaning “rejoice” or “be happy.”
  9. Dakota – this Native American name means “friendly or ally.”
  10. Dale – is a popular Old English name meaning “valley.”
  11. Daley – a well-loved Irish name meaning “lives in the valley.”
  12. Dalibor– a Czech and Slavic name from daleko (“far away”) and boriti (“to fight”), meaning “fighting far away.”
  13. Dallas – surprisingly, this place name is Scottish and means “from the dales” or “valley meadows.”
  14. Dalton – a classic Old English name meaning “town in the valley.”
  15. Damari – a Greek and Irish name meaning “gentle and eternal.”
  16. Damian – is of Greek and Syrian origin, meaning “to tame and subdue.”
  17. Damocles – referring to the Greek fable, meaning “the people” or “tyrant of Syracuse.”
  18. Damon – derived from the Greek name Damianos, meaning “to tame or subdue.”
  19. Dana – possibly derived from the more common name Dan, meaning “judge” in Hebrew.
  20. Dane – an Old English name for someone “from Denmark.”
  21. D’Angelo – an Italian masculine name from the Latin “angelus,” meaning “messenger.”
  22. Daniel– a Hebrew name meaning “God is my judge,” borne by the prophet of the biblical book of Daniel and steadily popular for generations.
  23. Danny – a short form of the Hebrew name Daniel, meaning “God is my judge.”
  24. Dante– an Italian short form of Durante meaning “enduring,” best known through the poet Dante Alighieri, author of the Divine Comedy.
  25. Daquell – possibly meaning “wise,” this French name could also mean “dream.”
  26. Dara – this Irish name is of Hebrew origin, meaning “nugget or pearl of wisdom.”
  27. Darby – the English version of D’Arby, possibly meaning “deer park or village where deer are kept.”
  28. D’Arby – means “free one/ancient Persian” in French and “village where deer are kept” in English.
  29. Darcy – is the English version of D’Arby, meaning “fortress and dark.”
  30. D’Arcy – a classic French male name meaning “dark.”
  31. Dargan – possibly derived from the Irish name Deegan, meaning “black-haired.”
  32. Dariel – is French and Old English, meaning “dearly loved” and “open.”
  33. Dario – primarily an Italian name that means “gift, upholder of the good, and rich and kingly.”
  34. Darius– an Old Persian name meaning “possessing goodness,” carried by Darius the Great, who expanded the Achaemenid Empire.
  35. Darnell – an American-sounding name from Old English, meaning “hidden nook.”
  36. Darnley– a Scottish place name from Renfrewshire meaning “grassy meadow.”
  37. Darrell – an 11th-century French name meaning “open.”
  38. Darren – an English and Irish surname meaning “oak tree or small rocky hill.”
  39. Darsh – this Indian masculine name of Sanskrit origin means “sight, handsome, and Lord Krishna.”
  40. Dart – this habitational name stems from the River Dart in the UK and means “oak.”
  41. D’Artagnan – best known as one of the Three Musketeers, meaning “from Artagnan.”
  42. Darwin – from the Old English “deorwine,” meaning “dear friend.”
  43. Dash – a short and sweet English name meaning “from the Ash.”
  44. Dashawn – this modern-sounding American name means “who is like God.”
  45. Dashiel – derived from the French surname de Chiel, meaning “page boy.”
  46. Datu– a Filipino name from the title datu, meaning “chief” or “tribal leader.”
  47. Daud – this unusual Persian name means “beloved.”
  48. David – from biblical Hebrew, meaning “beloved.”
  49. Davion – another Americanized version of David, meaning “beloved.”
  50. Davis – from the Hebrew name David, meaning “son of David.”
  51. Davit – derived from the Middle French and English, meaning “little David.”
  52. Davon – possibly a combination of David and Devon, this English name means “beloved.”
  53. Davy – of Hebrew and Old English origin, meaning “beloved” and “son of David.”
  54. Dax – in French, Dax means “water” and “badger” in Bavarian.
  55. Daxton – an English habitational name meaning “from the town of Dax.”
  56. Daylin – this Americanised variant of the English name Dallin means “beautiful day.”
  57. Daylon – an Americanized version of Waylon, meaning “land by the road.”
  58. Dayton – this gender-neutral English name means “bright and sunny town.”
  59. Daytona – from the famous American beach town, meaning “town of Day” after founder Matthias D. Day.
  60. Deacon – derived from the Greek word “diakonos,” meaning “messenger and helper.”
  61. De’Andre – of French origin, this Americanized version means “strong and courageous.”
  62. Dee – a short and sweet Welsh name meaning “swarthy.”
  63. Deegan – an unusual Irish name meaning “black-haired.”
  64. Deforest – from the Latin word “de forestis,” meaning “of the forest.”
  65. Delano – this unusual Irish and French name means “from the forest of nut trees.”
  66. Delbert – of Old English origin, meaning “day-bright” or “noble and bright.”
  67. Delmar – of Spanish and French origin, meaning “of the sea.”
  68. Delphine – derived from the Greek place name Delphi, meaning “dolphin.”
  69. Delroy – of French origin, meaning “the king” or “servant of the king.”
  70. DeMarco – a patronymic name of Italian, English, and American origin, meaning “of Mark.”
  71. DeMarcus – possibly derived from the Latin name Marcus, meaning “son of Marcus.”
  72. Demir – an occupational name of Turkish origin, meaning “iron.”
  73. De Montfort -this French place name means “imaginative, wealth, and adventurer.”
  74. Demos – a classic Greek boy’s name meaning “the people.”
  75. Dempsey – in Gaelic, it means “proud and haughty” and “descendent of Diomasach.”
  76. Denim – meaning “strong cloth,” this unusual boy’s name is French.
  77. Den – this Roman short form of Dennis means “son of Dennis” or “follower of Dionysos/Dionysius.”
  78. Denholm – this habitational Scottish name refers to a “piece of dry land in a valley.”
  79. Dennis – of Greco-Roman roots, meaning “devotee of Dionysos.”
  80. Denton – an Old English habitational name describing a “farm or village in a valley.”
  81. Denver – the US city, derived from Old English and French, meaning “green valley.”
  82. Denzel – is of Cornish origin, meaning “from the high stronghold.”
  83. Deonte – possibly a derivative of the Italian name Dante, meaning “an outgoing man.”
  84. Derren – an alternative spelling of the English name Darren, meaning “oak tree.”
  85. Derrick – derived from Old German, meaning “people’s ruler.”
  86. Derrie – possibly from the place in Ireland, meaning “red-haired.”
  87. Desmond – is of Irish and Gaelic origin, meaning “from South Munster.”
  88. Dev – with Indian and Irish origins, meaning “God.”
  89. Devereaux – possibly with Celtic roots, this French name means “from the Eure river.”
  90. Devlin – a classic Irish and Gaelic name meaning “fierce courage.”
  91. Devonte – is of English and American origin, meaning “fawn and ox.”
  92. Dewayne – a popular American version of the Gaelic Duane, meaning “swarthy, dark, and wagon maker.”
  93. DeWitt – an Americanized version of the Dutch name meaning “blonde or white one.”
  94. Dewy – this American-sounding name is Welsh, meaning “beloved.”
  95. Dexter – of Latin and Old English origin, meaning “fortunate, right-handed, and woman who dyes.”
  96. Dharma – a deeply religious Buddhist name meaning “decree and custom.”
  97. Diamond – from the precious gem, meaning “of high value.”
  98. Dick – this German and English short form of Richard means “fellow, man, and powerful leader.”
  99. Diedrich – this powerful German name means “ruler of the people.”
  100. Diego – is of Spanish origin, meaning “supplanter.”
  101. Dieter– a German name from theod (“people”) and heri (“army”), meaning “warrior of the people.”
  102. Digby – a Norse/Scandinavian name meaning “town by the ditch.”
  103. Diggory – this derivative of the French word “egare” means “astray and lost one.”
  104. Dilbert – possibly an alternative Old English spelling of Delbert, meaning “day-bright.”
  105. Dillon – is an Irish/Gaelic/Welsh unisex name meaning “like a lion, loyal, and born from waves.”
  106. Dino – this masculine name of Italian origin, means “little sword.”
  107. Diondray – possibly an Americanized spelling of Andre, meaning “man and warrior.”
  108. Dior – an exotic French first and last name meaning “golden.”
  109. Dipak – an old-fashioned Hindi Sanskrit name meaning “light, little lamp, and shine bright.”
  110. Dirk – a diminutive of the German name Diederik, meaning “the people’s ruler.”
  111. Dixon – a classic English name meaning “son of Dick.”
  112. Dmitri – this Slavic boy’s name derives from the Greek name Demetrius, meaning “follower of Demeter.”
  113. Doc – possibly short for the Welsh name Madoc, meaning “wise person.”
  114. Dodge – another Germanic name, this one means “famed spear.”
  115. Dolph – this Germanic diminutive of Randolph means “wolf.”
  116. Domingo – a Spanish version of the Latin male name Dominic, meaning “lord.”
  117. Donahue – a classic Irish/Gaelic name meaning “dark fighter.”
  118. Donal – an Irish derivative of Donald, with the same meaning.
  119. Donald – a Scottish and Gaelic name meaning “world ruler” and “proud chief.”
  120. Donnelly – this Irish baby boy’s name means “valor and brave.”
  121. Donnie – from Irish mythology, Donn was the king of the underworld.
  122. Donovan – this modern-sounding Irish name means “descendent of Donndubhán.”
  123. Donte – derived from the Latin “dante,” meaning “everlasting.”
  124. Dorian – a classic Greek name meaning “from the sea.”
  125. Doru – derived from the Romanian word “dor,” meaning “longing.”
  126. Dotson – is an old-fashioned English name meaning “son of Dot.”
  127. Douglas – from the Scottish Gaelic “dubh glas,” meaning “black stream.”
  128. Doyle– an Irish surname from Ó Dubhghaill, meaning “descendant of the dark stranger.”
  129. Draco– a Greek name meaning “dragon,” borne by the ancient Athenian lawgiver (the source of “draconian”) and by the Harry Potter character.
  130. Drake– a Middle English name derived from the Greek “drakon,” meaning “dragon.”
  131. Drax – this 11th-century English name means “thinker.”
  132. Dre – a pet form of the Dutch, English, and Greek name Andre, meaning “dream.”
  133. Dren– an Albanian name meaning “deer.”
  134. Drew – a variation of Dru, of Welsh origin, meaning “wise.”
  135. Driscoll – an Old Gaelic/Irish name meaning “descendent of the interpreter.”
  136. Drogo – an Old German name derived from “dragen,” meaning “to bear or carry.”
  137. Dru– a short Old French and Welsh name meaning “wise,” and the root of the more common Drew.
  138. Drummond – from the Gaelic word “drumainn,” meaning “ridge.”
  139. Drury – this gender-neutral name means “love and friendship.”
  140. Duane – this cool Irish name means “little dark one.”
  141. Dudley – an ancient English name meaning “from the meadow or clearing.”
  142. Duffy – with roots in Gaelic and Old Irish, meaning “swarthy or dark.”
  143. Dufre – of French origin, meaning “kind, dynamic, and enormous.”
  144. Duke – a medieval noble title with Anglo-Norman roots, meaning “leader.”
  145. Dumas – from Old French, Dumas is a unique name meaning “farmstead.”
  146. Dumisani – of African Zulu origin, meaning “give praise.”
  147. Dunbar – a habitational Scottish boy’s name meaning “summit fort.”
  148. Dune – either a “pile of sand” or a “brown-skinned soldier” in Scottish.
  149. Dupree – an Old English word of French origin, meaning “from the meadow.”
  150. Durk – with German roots, Durk means “ruler of the people.”
  151. Dustin – possibly meaning “Thor’s stone,” Dustin also means “brave warrior” in German.
  152. Dusty – a cute-sounding name with a less charming meaning: “full of dust.”
  153. Dutch – typically refers to one “of the Netherlands” in English.
  154. Dwayne – derived from Gaelic, meaning “swarthy.”
  155. Dwight– possibly Old English, Flemish, and German, meaning “white or blond.”

Boy Names That Start With D FAQs

What Are the Most Popular Boy Names That Start With D?

The most popular boy names that start with D include David, Daniel, Dennis, Diego, and Donald. Other favorites carry international roots: Dmitri (Russian), Donte (Italian), Darius (Persian), and Dwayne (Irish).

What Are Some Unique Boy Names That Start With D?

Unique boy names that start with D include Dorian, Desmond, Dashiell, Dante, and Dexter. These stand apart from top-10 staples like David and Daniel while staying easy to say and spell, making them strong picks if you want something original.

What Do Boy Names That Start With D Mean?

Boy names that start with D carry meanings drawn from their origins. David means “beloved” (Hebrew), Daniel means “God is my judge” (Hebrew), Dominic means “belonging to the Lord” (Latin), and Dylan means “son of the sea” (Welsh).

What Are Short Boy Names That Start With D?

Short boy names that start with D include Dean, Dax, Dane, Drew, and Dion. Each runs one or two syllables, so they pair cleanly with longer middle names and surnames.

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About the Author

Mark Weir

Mark has always been fascinated by the stories behind names, their meanings, and the rich histories they carry. It's a curiosity that has grown into a full-fledged passion project, engaging him in the study of how names shape our identities and reflect our cultures. Since stepping away from his previous career, Mark has delved deeper into this fascinating realm. He spends his days unraveling these narratives and sharing his findings on Honey Name. He does all this amidst the tranquility of England's rivers and canals from his charming widebeam barge. His constant companions on this journey are his wife, Julie, and their adorable King Charles Cavalier, Eric.