246 Last Names That Start With D: With Desirable Meanings

The letter D sits proudly in the fourth spot of the alphabet. Its roots trace back to the Phoenicians in 800 BC, who originally called it “dalet.” The Greeks later tweaked it to “delta,” while its shape evolved from Egyptian hieroglyphics representing a tent door.

Today, last names starting with D carry rich histories from all over the world. We gathered some of the most popular, unique, and historic D surnames to help you understand their meanings and origins.

Popular Last Names Starting With D

Here is a breakdown of popular and unique last names starting with the letter D, complete with their origins and meanings.

Dafoe: This French name has an uncertain meaning, possibly meaning “of the beech.”
Dagostino: This Italian name has a noble lineage and means “of Agastino.”
Dahmer: An infamous German and Danish surname describing a person “from Dahme.”
Daigle: A French family name describing someone “from L’Aigle” in Orne.
Daily: An English alternative to the Irish Daley, meaning “assembly” or “gathering.”
Dale: Derived from the Old English “dæl,” meaning “dweller in a valley.”
Daley: This classic six-letter Irish name means “one who is present at gatherings.”
Dallas: This Scottish name derives from “dol” and “gwas,” meaning “meadow dwelling.”
Dalton: An Old English name derived from “dæl” and “tūn,” meaning “valley settlement.”
Damian: From the Greek Damianos, meaning “to tame, master,” and “subdue.”
Damico: This Italian family name means “benevolent and cordial person showing friendship.”
Damon: A derivative of the French “dam,” meaning “agile and nimble.”
Damron: An alternative spelling of Dameron, a “type of red wine grape.”
Danberry: This English name means “stronghold of the family” and “followers of a man called Dæne.”
Dane: Derived from Old English and means “from Denmark.”
Dang: This ancient Chinese family name means “faction, party,” and “association.”
D’Angelo: This Italian name stems from the Latin Angelus, meaning “messenger.”
Daniels: A classic seven-letter Scottish name meaning “God has judged.”
Danielson: An Anglicized version of the Swedish Danielsson, meaning “son of Daniel.”
Danner: A topographic and habitational Middle High German surname meaning “dweller in or near a forest.”
Danvers: An English-Norman name of habitational origin meaning “from Anvers.”
Dapaa: A Ghanaian and African family name meaning “good day” and “the day of labor of the Akan.”
Darby: Derived from the Old Norse “djúr” and “by,” meaning “deer farm or settlement.”
Darcus: This French surname means “strong” and “dark one.”
D’Arcy: A five-letter French name describing “someone from Arcy” in Northern France.
Darden: A genderless English name meaning “dwelling house.”
Dargan: This unique Irish name describes someone with “dark hair.”
Dark: A feature-based Old English name for someone with “dark hair or complexion.”
Darling: A beautiful Scottish and English name meaning “beloved one.”
Darnell: Of Old English and French origin, meaning “dweller near a patch of darnel grass.”
Dartagnan: This French literary name means “from Artagnan.”
Dashiell: A habitational French name describing someone “from D’Assche” in Normandy.
Dasilva: A Portuguese family name derived from the Latin “silva,” meaning “dweller by a wood.”
Daugherty: This Irish name originated in the 9th century and means “hurtful” or “obstructive.”
Davenport: This habitational English name means “to trickle down” and “market town.”
Davey: This patronymic Scottish name is perfect for a “descendant of David.”
David: A celebrated Hebrew name meaning “beloved.”
Davidson: This common eight-letter Scandinavian and English name means “son or descendant of David.”
Davies: Of Welsh descent, derived from Dyfed or Dafydd, meaning “from Dyfed.”
Davila: Of Spanish and Portuguese origin, meaning “from the village.”
Davis: This Welsh-derived surname means “Dafydd’s son.”
Dawkins: An Old English and Welsh surname meaning “little Ralph or David.”
Dawson: A classic English, Scottish, and Welsh surname meaning “son of David.”
Day: An occupational Middle English name meaning “dairyman or dairymaid.”
Dayton: Derives from the Old English “distone,” meaning “ditch settlement.”
Deacon: An occupational Greek and English name meaning “messenger or servant.”
Deal: Similar to Dale, this Old English name means “place at the hollow or valley.”
Dean: Derived from the Old English “denu,” meaning “valley.”
Deandra: This Old English name means “divine, defender of mankind,” and “manly.”
Deangelo: A classy Italian name meaning “son of Angelo.”
Dearth: An English surname for someone of “gloomy or sickly” disposition.
Deas: A Scottish name derived from the French “dez,” meaning a “seller, maker, or player of dice.”
Death: Possibly an Old English nickname for someone who “played the part of Death in a play.”
Deaton: An Old English habitational name describing a “ditch or dyke settlement or enclosure.”
Decker: This German occupational name refers to a “roofer, carpenter, or builder.”
Dees: Means “dice” in French and English, “descendant of Desiderius” in Dutch, and “Matthew” in German.
DeGray: An unusual French habitational name describing a person “from or of Gruy.”
Deguzman: A striking Spanish name meaning “descendant of Guzman (good man)” and “lord or nobleman.”
Dehart: Of Middle Dutch origin, meaning “deer heart.”
Dejesus: A popular Latin American surname of Spanish and Portuguese origin, meaning “of Jesus.”
Delacruz: A common Spanish family name with religious links meaning “of the cross.”
Delagarza: A Spanish patronymic name meaning “of or from Garza” and “heron.”
Delamere: Of French origin, meaning “of the sea” and common with coastal families.
Delaney: This gender-neutral Irish name means “dark challenger” and “from the alder grove.”
Delano: From the French Walloon and the Flemish Delannoy, meaning “nighttime” and “nut tree.”
Delarosa: A Spanish surname meaning “of the rose.”
Delatorre: A habitational Spanish name for someone “living by a watchtower.”
Deleon: Of Spanish and French origin, meaning “family of Leon.”
Delgadillo: This is a quirky Spanish nickname for a “thin person.”
Delgado: Originating from the Latin “delicatus,” meaning “dainty, exquisite,” and “slender.”
Dell: Derived from the Old English “del,” meaning “small valley or glen.”
Dellinger: A variant of the German Dillinger, meaning “from Dellingen.”
Deloach: This variant of the French Desloges describes people from various villages in the Bourgogne region.
DeLon: A shortened version of the French Adelon, meaning “noble.”
Delong: This habitational French name describes someone “from a place called Long.”
Delossantos: Also spelled delos Santos, this Spanish surname means “of the saints.”
Delrio: A nature-inspired Spanish topographic name meaning “of the river or stream.”
Delrosario: A mixture of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese meaning “of the rosary.”
Deltoro: This Spanish and Italian name means “of the bull.”
Deluca: An Italian version of the Greek Luke, meaning “son of Luca.”
Deluna: This celestial Spanish name translates as “of the moon.”
Delvalle: Of Spanish origin, meaning “of or from the valley.”
Demarco: A Latin and Maltese name meaning “son of Marco.”
Demers: A habitational French name describing a “person from Mers-les-Bains” or “Mers-sur-Indre.”
Demetrius: This Greek name means “follower of Demeter,” the goddess of the harvest.
Dempsey: An Irish name meaning “proud” or “arrogant.”
Demski: This Polish family name refers to a “dweller at or near an oak tree.”
Deng: Means “rain” in Sudanese and also refers to a province in China.
Denham: This classic Old English surname means “village in the valley.”
Denning: Derived from the Old English “dynna,” meaning “brown” or “dun-colored.”
Dennis: This Greek-inspired name means “follower of Dionysus.”
Denny: This Scandinavian name means “the Dane’s village” and “follower of Dionysus.”
Denson: An Old English patronymic name meaning “son of the dean.”
Dent: Derived from the Old English “dynt,” meaning “combat” and “blow with a weapon” or “implement.”
Denton: Of Old English origin, referring to a “valley town.”
Derosa: An Italian and Catalan name meaning “from Rosa.”
Derr: This South and East German family name is a nickname for “a thin or slender person.”
Derrick: A Germanic derivative of Theodoric, meaning “ruler of the people.”
Desai: This Sanskrit and Indian name means “landlord” or “lord of land.”
Desantis: Derived from the Latin “sanctus,” meaning “holy” or “devout.”
Desimone: Of Hebrew origin, derived from Simon, meaning “to listen” or “one who harkens.”
Desmond: Derived from the Gaelic “deas Mhumhain,” meaning “from South Munster.”
Destefano: An Italian patronymic name meaning “descendant or son of Stefano.”
Deutsch: This unique German name simply means “German.”
Dever: Of Flemish origin, meaning “wild boar.”
Devereaux: This elegant French name means “banks of the river.”
Devine: Means “beloved” and “friend” in Hebrew, and “ox or stag” in Irish and Gaelic.
Devito: Derived from the Latin “vita,” meaning “life,” and also means “son of Vito” in Italian.
Devlin: An Irish name meaning “fierce courage” or “unlucky.”
Devore: Of French origin describing someone “from Vors” in Aveyron.
Devries: A popular Dutch surname meaning “the Frisian.”
Dewar: Of Scottish origin, meaning “son of the pilgrim or sojourner.”
Dewey: Derived from the Welsh Dewi (David), meaning “beloved.”
Dewitt: An Americanized version of the Dutch De Witt, meaning “the white one.”
Dexter: With roots in the Old English occupational name Dyer, meaning “dyer of cloth.”
Deyoung: An Anglicized version of the Dutch De Jong, meaning “young” or “young for their years.”
Dial: A Scottish variant of the Irish Dyal, meaning “dale or valley.”
Diallo: One of a handful of African names on the list, meaning “bold.”
Diamond: A British name that means “of high value” and “brilliant.”
Dias: This classic Spanish patronymic name means “son of Diego.”
Diaz: An alternative to the Spanish Dias; it also means “plum” in Chinese.
Dick: Of Germanic and Dutch influence, meaning “fat” or a diminutive of Richard.
Dickens: A famous literary surname meaning “belonging to” and “son of.”
Dickerson: A high-ranking patronymic Old English name meaning “son of Diccon.”
Dickson: First recorded as Dicson, this Old English patronymic name means “son of Richard.”
Diehl: A rare Germanic name meaning “people.”
Diesel: This 13th-century Bavarian name means “people” and “race.”
Dieter: Derived from the German personal name Theudhar, meaning “people, race,” and “army.”
Dietrich: An ancient German name meaning “ruler of the people” and “keeper of the keys.”
Dietz: A short form of the German Dietrich, meaning “people’s ruler.”
Digby: An Old English and Norse name meaning “dyke or ditch” and “settlement or farm.”
Diggs: This English name could mean “duck,” or it could mean “son of Richard.”
Dill: A Middle German name for a “sawyer of wood,” or “slow and dull person” in English.
Dillard: Either means “brave and strong” in English or “dull and simple person.”
Dillon: A gender-neutral Irish name meaning “like a lion” or “loyal.”
Dilworth: Named after the medicinal and culinary herb, this Old English name means “dill enclosure.”
Dimas: A Portuguese name of Greek roots meaning “sunset.”
Dimon: This Old English name is a variant of Diamond and means “high value” and “brilliant.”
Dinan: Means “good” in Irish and describes someone from the Brittany town of the same name.
Dingle: An Old English name describing “a small wooded hollow with a small stream.”
Dinh: Means “nail” in Vietnamese and “boy or man” in Chinese.
Dion: Means “people” in German and describes “a sacred spring” in Gaulish and French.
Diop: This African surname refers to the Senegalese Diop clan rather than having a specific meaning.
Dior: A high-class French name meaning “golden.”
DiRenzo: A patronymic Italian name describing a “relative or descendant of Lorenzo.”
Dixie: Means “tenth” in French, popularized by the instigators of the famous Mason-Dixon line.
Dixon: An alternate English spelling of Dickson, meaning “son of Richard.”
Do: As with many Chinese names, the meanings vary; it means “birchleaf pear, to restrict,” and “explore.”
Doan: Of British origin, meaning “low, rolling hills.”
Dobbs: This Old English name derives from “daubs” and means “painter.”
Dobson: An ancient Old English patronymic name meaning “son of Dobbe.”
Docherty: This Scottish and Irish patronymic name means “descendant of Dochartach.”
Dockery: Derived from the Old English “docce” and “wra,” meaning “dock or sorrel” and “nook.”
Dodds: Of Welsh, German, and Old English roots, meaning “round or plump.”
Dodge: An Anglo-Saxon name meaning “famous spearman.”
Dodson: A patronymic Old English name meaning “son of Dudde (Dodd).”
Doe: A common name among the American-Chinese community meaning “birchleaf pear, to restrict,” and “to prevent.”
Doherty: An Irish and Gaelic patronymic name meaning “descendant of Dochartach.”
Dolan: Another classic Irish name beginning with D, meaning “dark, bold,” and “black-haired.”
Domingo: This Spanish and Portuguese name means “Sunday.”
Dominguez: A traditional Spanish name popular worldwide, meaning “son of Domingo.”
Donahue: An Anglicized version of the Irish Ó Donnchadha, meaning “descendant of Donnchadh.”
Donald: Derived from the Scottish Donhnall, meaning “ruler of the world.”
Donaldson: A patronymic Gaelic name meaning “son of Donald.”
Donato: Of Spanish and Italian origin, meaning “given” and “gift from God.”
Dong: Of Cantonese and Chinese descent, meaning “to supervise.”
Donnely: An Anglicized version of an Irish name meaning “descendant of Donnghal.”
Donovan: This popular Irish name from Cork means “descendant of Donndubhán.”
Dooley: One of many Irish patronymic names; it means “descendant of Dubhlaoch.”
Doran: Of Irish origin, meaning “exile, wanderer,” and “stranger and warrior.”
Doring: Possibly based on an ancient Germanic tribe, it means “to dare.”
Dorman: An Old English name describing “a gatekeeper, doorkeeper,” and “someone who lives by a gate.”
Dorsey: Possibly related to the French D’Arcy, meaning “of Arcy,” and means “dark-haired” in Irish.
Doss: Derived from the Old German “dozzen,” meaning “to bluster or thunder.”
Dotson: Of Middle English origin from “dodde,” meaning “rounded,” and used to describe “a rotund man.”
Doucette: This French name derives from the Latin “dolcis,” meaning “sweet” or “pleasant person.”
Dougherty: This Irish and Scottish name means “descendant of Dochartach.”
Doughty: A Middle English surname derived from “doutu,” meaning “brave, strong,” and “worthy.”
Douglas: Derived from the Scottish “dubh glas,” meaning “dark or black stream.”
Doumbia: This West African moniker comes from the Doumbia clan (Mandinka people) and means “to murmur.”
Dove: From the Old English “dūfe,” meaning “gentle person” or a “worker with doves.”
Dover: This historic English port town derives from the Welsh “dwfr,” meaning “the waters.”
Dow: A three-letter Irish and Gaelic name for someone with “dark hair.”
Dowde: An Irish name that means “descendant of Dubhda.”
Dowden: This Old English name derives from “dugan,” meaning “to avail” or “to be of use.”
Dowell: An Anglicized version of the Gaelic Mac Dubhghaill, meaning “do well.”
Downes: Derived from the Anglo-Saxon “dun,” meaning “hill,” describing a “dweller by the downs.”
Downey: This classic Gaelic name means “fortress-holder.”
Downing: From the Middle English “doun,” describing a “dweller by the hill.”
Doyle: This Scandi nickname separates “dark-haired Danes” from “blond” Norwegians.
Dozier: An Old French name describing a “dweller by the plantation of willows.”
Drabick: Derived from the Slavic “drab,” describing a “common footsoldier.”
Drake: Derived from Middle English for “male duck” and Old Norse “draki,” meaning “dragon.”
Draper: From the Old French “drapier,” meaning “maker or seller of woolen cloth.”
Draven: A Scottish and Gaelic name meaning “from the dark waters.”
Dremaine: Possibly a French variant of Jermaine, meaning “German” or “from Germany.”
Drennan: An Irish and Scottish family name meaning “descendant of Draighnen.”
Drentlaw: Comprised of the Old Norse “trent” and Old English “hlaw,” meaning “trickling stream” and “hill.”
Drew: A French nickname for a “favorite lover.”
Driggers: An Americanized version of the Spanish and Portuguese Rodriguez, meaning “son of Rodrogo.”
Driscoll: This Irish name is popular in Cork and means “descendant of the messenger.”
Driver: An Old English occupational name describing “a cart driver with horses and oxen.”
Drummer: An occupational English name for “a player of drums.”
Drummond: Derived from the Gaelic “drumainn,” meaning “ridge.”
Dryden: A habitational and topographic English name meaning “dry valley.”
Du: A common surname with many overseas Chinese communities, meaning “birchleaf pear.”
Duarte: A Portuguese derivative of Eduardo (Edward), meaning “wealthy protector.”
Dubois: An Old French habitational name for a “dweller near or in the woods.”
Ducat: This English name derives from Old French, meaning “rich man, money lender,” or “money minter.”
Duckworth: From the Old English “dūce,” meaning “duck enclosure.”
Dudley: First recorded in England as Duddeleye, meaning “Dudda’s woodland enclosure.”
Duenas: A habitational Spanish name meaning “from Dueñas” in Palencia.
Duff: Derived from the Irish and Scottish “dubh,” meaning “dark” and “black.”
Duffy: This typically Irish surname means “the dark one.”
Dugan: An Irish feature-inspired name describing “a dark-haired or dark-skinned person.”
Dugas: An unusual topographic and habitational French name for a “dweller near the wasteland.”
Dugdale: Derived from the Old English name Ducca and the Old Norse “dalr,” meaning “Ducca’s valley.”
Duke: This noble Latin name means “the leader” and “son of Marmaduke.”
Dumas: This Old French name derives from the Occitan “mas,” meaning “from an isolated farmstead.”
Dunbar: This Gaelic last name means “castle headland.”
Duncan: Of Scottish and Gaelic origin, meaning “brown hair, chieftain,” or “noble.”
Dunham: This Old English surname is a popular place name and means “hill farmstead.”
Dunlap: A Scottish habitational name meaning “hill fort” and “muddy.”
Dunn: From the Middle English word meaning “dark.”
Dunning: First recorded in 1066, this English name refers to a “dull brown color.”
Dunson: A patronymic Old English name meaning “son of Dunn or Dunna.”
Dunston: Possibly meaning “brownstone,” it also means “Dunn’s settlement” in Old English.
Duong: A Chinese name that means “poplar tree.”
Dupont: A French surname describing someone “of the bridge.”
Dupree: This classic French family name means “from the meadow.”
Duque: This occupational Spanish and Portuguese name describes a “worker” or “servant of the Duke.”
Duran: A Croatian name derived from “durmak,” meaning “to remain or endure.”
Durant: Derived from the Latin Durandus, meaning “enduring.”
Durbin: This French Latin-inspired name means “city-dweller.”
Durham: Derived from the Old English “dun” and the Norse “holme,” meaning “hill island.”
Durkin: Originating from the Gaelic Dalcassian tribe, this surname means “water hound” and “otter.”
Durrant: This alternative to Durant is Norman and means “son of Durant” and “enduring.”
Dustin: An unassuming English and Norman name meaning “Thor’s stone.”
Dutch: Became popular in 14th-century England to describe “settlers from the Netherlands.”
Dutton: A popular English last name meaning “hill town.”
Duvall: Of French and Norman origin, describing a person “of the valley.”
Dvorak: A Czech family name meaning “wealthy farmer who owns a manor house.”
Dwyer: With Irish roots, this popular name means “dark, wise one” and “be honest.”
Dyer: An occupational four-letter English surname describing a “worker in cloth dying.”
Dyke: From the Middle English “deke,” meaning “by the ditch or dyke.”
Dylan: A Welsh name that means “son of the sea.”

Last Names That Start With D FAQs

What Are the Rarest Last Names That Start With D?

The rarest last names that start with D are often ancient and little used today. Dahmer, Darcus, Death, Devers, and Diehl are all contenders for unique D surnames, as are Doan, Drabick, and Dunlap.

What Are the Oldest Last Names Starting With D?

The oldest last names that start with D include Dallas, Dalton, Danberry, and Daugherty. Others like Deal, Diesel, Dorman, and Dunning are excellent examples of ancient monikers.

Which Surnames Starting With D Are French?

Many surnames starting with D are French. Examples like Dafoe, Daigle, Damon, D’Arcy, and DeGray are excellent French names, as are Delamere, DeLon, Devore, and Doucette.

What Are Some Common American Last Names That Start With D?

Common American surnames starting with D include Davis, Diaz, Daniels, and Dawson. Many of these names have European roots but became highly populated in the United States over the centuries.

Are There Any Italian Last Names Starting With D?

Yes, Italian surnames like DeLuca, DiRenzo, Donato, and Damico are widely recognized. These names often use prefixes like “De” or “Di,” which translate to “of” or “from” a specific family or region.

What Is the Most Common D Surname in the World?

Davis is one of the most common D surnames in English-speaking countries. In Spanish-speaking regions, Diaz is incredibly popular and ranks high on global surname lists.

What Are Some Short Last Names That Start With D?

If you are looking for brief surnames, Doe, Day, Dow, Du, and Do are excellent examples. These names span multiple cultures, from English to Chinese, while keeping the letter count low.