boys' name ★ peaked 1976

Damon

Meaning to tame, subdue Gender Boy Rank 2025 #501 Trend → Stable

From Ancient Greek Δάμων (Dámōn), a name famous for the story of Damon and Pythias; derivative of δαμάζω (damázō, “to tame, subdue”).

Rank 2025
#501
among boys · ↓47 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
604
named Damon · -12% vs 2024
How common
1 in 2,828
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1976
2,478 babies
All-time total
69,157
#412 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Damon popularity over time

69,157 babies have been named Damon since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.511.5218801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 11 11 1 – #839
1890s – 45 45 5 +309% #651
1900s – 87 87 9 +93% #550
1910s – 336 336 34 +286% #786
1920s – 601 601 60 +79% #771
1930s – 631 631 63 +5% #704
1940s – 923 923 92 +46% #577
1950s 5 2,051 2,056 206 +123% #434
1960s 41 8,122 8,163 816 +297% #188
1970s 200 20,052 20,252 2,025 +148% #104
1980s 42 6,328 6,370 637 -69% #251
1990s 22 9,632 9,654 965 +52% #272
2000s 6 8,692 8,698 870 -10% #288
2010s – 7,129 7,129 713 -18% #378
2020s (to 2025) – 4,201 4,201 700 -2% #424

Where Damon is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 604 0.35 outside top 500
2027 604 0.35 outside top 500
2028 604 0.35 outside top 500
2029 603 0.35 outside top 500
2030 603 0.35 outside top 500

Where Damon is most popular

Boys named Damon per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.406 per 1,000. Strongest in Alaska, West Virginia, and Oklahoma.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Damon born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Alaska 11 0.924 +127%
West Virginia 29 0.888 +119%
Oklahoma 70 0.791 +95%
Arkansas 49 0.774 +91%
Kansas 50 0.729 +79%
Utah 69 0.723 +78%
Nevada 39 0.684 +68%
Indiana 104 0.649 +60%
Missouri 87 0.628 +55%
Oregon 45 0.593 +46%
Washington 96 0.587 +44%
Iowa 40 0.580 +43%
Pennsylvania 151 0.569 +40%
Michigan 114 0.557 +37%
Alabama 58 0.531 +31%
Ohio 140 0.528 +30%
Louisiana 54 0.528 +30%
South Carolina 54 0.523 +29%
Tennessee 94 0.521 +28%
Florida 241 0.509 +25%
Kentucky 51 0.508 +25%
Maryland 55 0.461 +14%
New Mexico 15 0.455 +12%
Arizona 72 0.440 +8%
Wisconsin 52 0.439 +8%
Virginia 79 0.416 ≈ national
Idaho 17 0.415 ≈ national
Nebraska 18 0.414 ≈ national
North Carolina 103 0.403 ≈ national
Texas 351 0.398 ≈ national
Colorado 51 0.395 ≈ national
Georgia 100 0.395 ≈ national
New York 169 0.390 ≈ national
Hawaii 6 0.386 -5%
Mississippi 21 0.370 -9%
California 337 0.369 -9%
Illinois 94 0.368 -9%
Massachusetts 50 0.364 -10%
Maine 7 0.361 -11%
Minnesota 40 0.326 -20%
Connecticut 21 0.310 -24%
New Jersey 60 0.298 -27%
Montana 5 0.284 -30%
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
North Dakota – – –
New Hampshire – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Damon

Damon is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #501 in 2025 with 604 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 69,157 American babies have been named Damon. Its peak came in 1976, when 2,478 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Damon stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Damon?

The median living Damon is about 40 years old; half are between 21 and 51. An estimated 63 thousand people named Damon are alive in the United States today.

median 40 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Damon year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 604 #501
2024 – – 690 #454
2023 – – 743 #425
2022 – – 744 #424
2021 – – 727 #424
2020 – – 693 #430
2019 – – 651 #460
2018 – – 718 #427
2017 – – 709 #438
2016 – – 700 #442
2015 – – 719 #427
2014 – – 764 #406
2013 – – 796 #378
2012 – – 722 #403
2011 – – 682 #414
2010 – – 668 #419
2009 – – 521 #517
2008 – – 585 #472
2007 – – 674 #428
2006 – – 782 #381
2005 – – 1,007 #321
2004 6 #14,589 992 #314
2003 – – 1,022 #298
2002 – – 1,027 #290
2001 – – 1,038 #288
2000 – – 1,044 #289
1995 – – 957 #283
1990 – – 788 #321
1985 – – 593 #331
1980 8 #7,560 897 #251
1975 21 #3,295 2,280 #114
1970 13 #4,279 1,622 #174
1965 – – 720 #280
1960 5 #6,546 362 #418
1955 – – 214 #506
1950 – – 120 #627
1945 – – 71 #728
1940 – – 64 #772
1935 – – 50 #896
1930 – – 55 #896
1925 – – 62 #846
1920 – – 62 #866
1915 – – 41 #983
1910 – – 7 #1,337
1905 – – 18 #550
1900 – – 11 #797
1895 – – 8 #809
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – 6 #839

Famous people named Damon

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Damon Wayans Damon Wayans American comedian, actor, producer and writer (born 1960) Contemporary
  2. 2 Damon Wayans Jr. Damon Wayans Jr. American actor and comedian (born 1982) Contemporary
  3. 3 Damon Herriman Damon Herriman Australian actor b. 1970 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Damon Lindelof Damon Lindelof American screenwriter and producer (born 1973) Contemporary
  5. 5 Damon Hill Damon Hill British racing driver (born 1960) Contemporary
  6. 6 Damon Stoudamire Damon Stoudamire American basketball player and coach (born 1973) Contemporary
  7. 7 Damon Runyon Damon Runyon American writer (1880–1946) 19th century
  8. 8 Damon Knight Damon Knight American science fiction writer, editor and critic (1922–2002) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Damon, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Damon?

The median living Damon is about 40 years old. Half of all living Damons are between 21 and 51 years old.

How many people named Damon are alive today?

An estimated 63 thousand people named Damon are alive in the United States, based on 69,157 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Damon mean?

From Ancient Greek Δάμων (Dámōn), a name famous for the story of Damon and Pythias; derivative of δαμάζω (damázō, “to tame, subdue”).

How popular is the name Damon in 2025?

Damon ranked #501 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 604 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Damon?

69,157 babies have been named Damon in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Damon most popular?

Damon peaked in 1976, when 2,478 newborns received the name.

Is Damon a boy or girl name?

Damon is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Damon rising or falling?

Damon has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Damon become more popular?

Damon looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 603 boys named Damon in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Damon?

Well-known people named Damon include Damon Wayans (actor), Damon Wayans Jr. (actor), Damon Herriman (actor).

Names like Damon

Names that sound and feel close to Damon: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Damon with similar names → More names starting with D →