boys' name ★ peaked 1994

Darius

Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #788 Trend ↓ Falling 29%

Darius is an English-rendered masculine given name of Persian origin, derived from the original name Dariush.

Rank 2025
#788
among boys · ↓42 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
322
named Darius · -6% vs 2024
How common
1 in 5,305
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1994
2,200 babies
All-time total
54,278
#480 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Darius popularity over time

54,278 babies have been named Darius 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
0.380.751.131.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 22 22 2 – #608
1890s – 10 10 1 -55% #1,104
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – 128 128 13 – #1,336
1920s – 178 178 18 +39% #1,525
1930s – 170 170 17 -4% #1,328
1940s – 252 252 25 +48% #1,114
1950s – 587 587 59 +133% #851
1960s 5 1,351 1,356 136 +131% #529
1970s 34 3,144 3,178 318 +134% #374
1980s 92 7,177 7,269 727 +129% #194
1990s 105 19,665 19,770 1,977 +172% #152
2000s 36 12,436 12,472 1,247 -37% #218
2010s – 6,548 6,548 655 -47% #337
2020s (to 2025) – 2,338 2,338 390 -40% #592

Where Darius 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 304 0.18 outside top 500
2027 289 0.17 outside top 500
2028 277 0.16 outside top 500
2029 268 0.16 outside top 500
2030 260 0.15 outside top 500

Where Darius is most popular

Boys named Darius per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.216 per 1,000. Strongest in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Maryland.

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 Darius 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
Mississippi 29 0.510 +136%
Louisiana 47 0.459 +112%
Maryland 50 0.419 +94%
Georgia 98 0.387 +79%
Washington 55 0.336 +55%
Michigan 68 0.332 +53%
Missouri 46 0.332 +53%
Illinois 82 0.321 +48%
Indiana 44 0.274 +27%
Virginia 51 0.269 +24%
Alabama 29 0.265 +23%
Wisconsin 31 0.262 +21%
Florida 119 0.251 +16%
Arizona 41 0.251 +16%
North Carolina 63 0.247 +14%
Ohio 65 0.245 +13%
South Carolina 24 0.232 +7%
California 205 0.224 ≈ national
New York 97 0.224 ≈ national
Texas 186 0.211 ≈ national
Oklahoma 18 0.204 -6%
New Jersey 36 0.179 -17%
Tennessee 32 0.177 -18%
Pennsylvania 47 0.177 -18%
Arkansas 11 0.174 -20%
Minnesota 17 0.139 -36%
Idaho 5 0.122 -44%
Colorado 14 0.108 -50%
Kentucky 10 0.100 -54%
Nevada 5 0.088 -59%
Massachusetts 12 0.087 -60%
Utah 8 0.084 -61%
Kansas 5 0.073 -66%
Iowa 5 0.073 -66%
Oregon 5 0.066 -70%
Alaska – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Maine – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
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 Darius

Darius is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #788 in 2025 with 322 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 54,278 American babies have been named Darius. Its peak came in 1994, when 2,200 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

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 Darius stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Darius?

The median living Darius is about 28 years old; half are between 19 and 35. An estimated 52 thousand people named Darius are alive in the United States today.

median 28 020406080100

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

Darius 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 – – 322 #788
2024 – – 344 #746
2023 – – 367 #723
2022 – – 402 #679
2021 – – 434 #636
2020 – – 469 #592
2019 – – 491 #567
2018 – – 553 #510
2017 – – 584 #495
2016 – – 584 #511
2015 – – 579 #502
2014 – – 614 #473
2013 – – 718 #410
2012 – – 730 #399
2011 – – 766 #380
2010 – – 929 #337
2009 – – 956 #333
2008 – – 1,052 #318
2007 6 #15,988 1,090 #306
2006 – – 1,244 #278
2005 5 #17,140 1,134 #291
2004 7 #13,096 1,117 #284
2003 – – 1,289 #255
2002 5 #16,048 1,422 #237
2001 7 #12,380 1,568 #218
2000 6 #13,585 1,564 #220
1995 15 #6,035 1,932 #169
1990 10 #8,024 2,033 #152
1985 7 #8,554 609 #326
1980 10 #6,404 497 #356
1975 6 #8,218 307 #458
1970 6 #7,256 259 #502
1965 5 #6,727 124 #665
1960 – – 85 #826
1955 – – 67 #910
1950 – – 33 #1,260
1945 – – 15 #1,796
1940 – – 21 #1,482
1935 – – 15 #1,853
1930 – – 19 #1,707
1925 – – 16 #2,026
1920 – – 16 #2,066
1915 – – 13 #2,093
1910 – – 7 #1,339
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – 10 #608

Famous people named Darius

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

  1. 1 Darius the Great Darius the Great Persian ruler from 522 to 486 BCE -550–-486 · Antiquity
  2. 2 Darius III Darius III King of the Achaemenid Empire from 336 to 330 BC) -380–-330 · Antiquity
  3. 3 Darius Khondji Darius Khondji Iranian-French cinematographer b. 1955 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Darius Miles Darius Miles American basketball player (born 1981) Contemporary
  5. 5 Darius II Darius II King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 423 to 405/4 BC -475–-404 · Antiquity
  6. 6 Darius Vassell Darius Vassell English footballer (born 1980) Contemporary
  7. 7 Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud French composer, conductor and teacher (1892–1974) 19th century
  8. 8 Darius Kasparaitis Darius Kasparaitis Lithuanian ice hockey player (born 1972) Contemporary
  9. 9 Darius Songaila Darius Songaila Lithuanian basketball coach and former player (born 1978) Contemporary
  10. 10 Darius Morris Darius Morris American basketball player (1991–2024) Contemporary
  11. 11 Darius of Pontus King of Pontus -100–-100 · Antiquity

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Darius?

The median living Darius is about 28 years old. Half of all living Dariuss are between 19 and 35 years old.

How many people named Darius are alive today?

An estimated 52 thousand people named Darius are alive in the United States, based on 54,278 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Darius mean?

Darius is an English-rendered masculine given name of Persian origin, derived from the original name Dariush.

How popular is the name Darius in 2025?

Darius ranked #788 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 322 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Darius?

54,278 babies have been named Darius in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Darius most popular?

Darius peaked in 1994, when 2,200 newborns received the name.

Is Darius a boy or girl name?

Darius is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Darius rising or falling?

Darius is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Darius become more popular?

Darius is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 260 boys named Darius in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Darius?

Well-known people named Darius include Darius the Great (politician), Darius III (politician), Darius Khondji (politician).

Names like Darius

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

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