Fun Facts About the Name Daphney
- More than 1 thousand babies named Daphney: U.S. records list 1,513 babies given the name Daphney from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Daphney Mean?
Daphney is a variant spelling of Daphne, a feminine name from ancient Greek. It comes from the Greek noun δάφνη (daphnē), the word for the laurel or bay tree. The literal meaning is therefore the plant name, not an abstract quality.
In Greek myth, Daphne is a nymph who is transformed into a laurel tree. That story gave the name a later symbolic link to the laurel wreath, Apollo, victory, and poetry, but this association is an outgrowth of the plant meaning rather than a separate etymology.
Daphney Name History & Origins
In classical myth, Daphne is a nymph pursued by Apollo; as she flees, she is changed into a laurel tree. The best-known literary telling is in Ovid's Metamorphoses, where the story explains why the laurel is sacred to Apollo. Because laurel wreaths were given to victors and poets, the name became associated with triumph and poetic achievement.
Greek names passed into Latin, and Daphne appears in Latin literature. From Latin and the learned European tradition, the name entered modern languages in forms such as Italian Dafne, French Daphné, and English Daphne. The English spelling Daphney is a respelling of Daphne with a common English -ey ending; it keeps the same pronunciation and does not point to a different origin. The exact earliest appearance of the Daphney spelling is not well documented, so it is best treated as a variant of Daphne rather than a separate name.
How Popular is the Name Daphney?
Daphney has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2001. Its best rank was #1,921 in 1962.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,209 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #11,305 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #7,332 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2022 | #6,515 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2021 | #9,110 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #9,729 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #11,617 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2018 | #9,316 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #6,346 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2016 | #6,479 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2015 | #5,510 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2014 | #4,292 | 34 | 0.0019% |
| 2013 | #5,694 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2012 | #4,521 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 2011 | #4,018 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 2010 | #6,235 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2009 | #7,130 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2008 | #5,808 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2007 | #5,406 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2006 | #6,187 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2005 | #4,736 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2004 | #5,618 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2003 | #4,049 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 2002 | #4,526 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2001 | #2,932 | 49 | 0.0027% |
| 2000 | #3,905 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 1999 | #3,057 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 1998 | #4,264 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1997 | #5,266 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1996 | #3,966 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1995 | #5,503 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1994 | #4,723 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1993 | #7,130 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1992 | #6,734 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1991 | #4,091 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1990 | #3,453 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 1989 | #3,591 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1988 | #4,048 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1987 | #3,357 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 1986 | #4,583 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1985 | #3,644 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1984 | #3,094 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 1983 | #3,844 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1982 | #3,356 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 1981 | #3,643 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1980 | #4,776 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1979 | #5,161 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1978 | #2,807 | 29 | 0.0019% |
| 1977 | #2,791 | 29 | 0.0019% |
| 1976 | #2,493 | 32 | 0.0022% |
| 1975 | #3,297 | 21 | 0.0014% |
| 1974 | #4,077 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1973 | #3,141 | 21 | 0.0014% |
| 1972 | #3,582 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 1971 | #3,186 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 1970 | #3,234 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1969 | #2,653 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 1968 | #3,832 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1967 | #3,106 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1966 | #3,589 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1965 | #2,855 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1964 | #2,361 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1963 | #2,220 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 1962 | #1,921 | 36 | 0.0018% |
| 1961 | #3,078 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1960 | #5,282 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #4,241 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1957 | #5,524 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #3,962 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1955 | #5,332 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1953 | #4,672 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1950 | #4,845 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1942 | #4,760 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1930 | #4,700 | 5 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Daphney Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are strong in material matters, determined and stubborn. You have good business ability. You are a good worker, steady and practical, a builder who takes responsibility well. These qualities may bring you a position of authority and power. You are a doer, down-to-earth, serious-minded, reliable, and self-disciplined; have good power of concentration. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Daphney's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Daphney's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.