Daphne
Girl name · #178 in 2025 · Uniqueness 17/100
Daphne ranks #178 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 1,740 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #378, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,034 girls born in 2025 was named Daphne.
The 139-year story
Daphne first appears in the Social Security records in 1886, when 6 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 1,740 babies and a rank of #178. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Daphne per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Daphne against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Daphne in class?
Daphne scores 17 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "popular" band. A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Daphne is most common
Geography matters for names, and Daphne is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Daphnes were CA (191), TX (190), NY (101), FL (100), NC (66). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Daphne
Statistically, parents drawn to Daphne tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Celine, Noelle, Phoebe, Sloane, and Vivienne.
CelineNoellePhoebeSloaneVivienneDahliaCelesteColette
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Daphne | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,740 | #178 |
| 2024 | 1,568 | #193 |
| 2023 | 1,266 | #241 |
| 2022 | 1,132 | #281 |
| 2021 | 1,103 | #288 |
| 2020 | 753 | #414 |
| 2019 | 734 | #435 |
| 2018 | 808 | #384 |
| 2017 | 812 | #385 |
| 2016 | 819 | #407 |
| 2015 | 864 | #378 |
| 2014 | 919 | #355 |
| 2013 | 777 | #396 |
| 2012 | 744 | #421 |
| 2011 | 673 | #451 |
| 2010 | 618 | #489 |
| 2009 | 649 | #477 |
| 2008 | 571 | #539 |
| 2007 | 512 | #584 |
| 2006 | 478 | #611 |
| 2005 | 520 | #554 |
| 2004 | 478 | #589 |
| 2003 | 460 | #594 |
| 2002 | 465 | #569 |
| 2001 | 597 | #466 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Daphne a popular girl name?
Daphne ranked #178 among girls in 2025 with 1,740 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #378.
When was the name Daphne most popular?
Daphne peaked in 2025, when 1,740 American girls received the name (ranked #178 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Daphne?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,034 newborn American girls was named Daphne. It scores 17/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "popular".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.