Fun Facts About the Name Demon
- 850 babies named Demon: U.S. records list 850 babies given the name Demon from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Demon Mean?
Demon is the English word for an evil spirit or a malevolent supernatural being. It comes from Latin daemon, a borrowing of Greek daimōn, which meant "god," "divine power," or "fate" and referred to a supernatural being whose moral character was not fixed. Greek daimōn is often linked to the verb daiomai, "to divide, apportion," which would give an original sense like "one who allots fate"; this is a widely repeated proposal rather than a settled fact.
The hostile sense developed later, through translation. The Greek version of the Hebrew Scriptures used daimonia for the gods of other nations and for harmful spirits, and the New Testament used daimonion for the unclean spirits driven out in healing accounts. Latin Christian writers used daemon in that same negative sense, and English inherited it. As a personal name, Demon has no established tradition in English-speaking countries; it is chiefly a common noun, and its use as a given name is rare and modern rather than inherited.
Demon Name History & Origins
The word entered English from Latin daemon, which was itself taken from Greek daimōn. In early Greek writing, daimones were beings ranked between gods and mortals: Hesiod describes the men of the golden age becoming daimones who watch over people, and the word could also mean a person's allotted lot or fate. Socrates referred to his daimonion, an inner sign or warning, without treating it as anything evil.
The change to "evil spirit" came mainly through translation. The Septuagint, the Greek rendering of the Hebrew Bible, used daimonia for foreign gods and for damaging spirits, and the New Testament used daimonion for the unclean spirits expelled in healing stories. Latin-speaking Christians adopted daemon for those beings, and that is the sense the word carried into medieval English.
English also has the scholarly respelling daemon, brought back in the 16th century to represent classical Greek usage more literally. That spelling later appears in James Clerk Maxwell's 1867 thought experiment about a sorting "demon," and from the 1960s it was used for background processes in computing. Both spellings descend from the same Latin source, and demon remains the ordinary English form.
As a personal name, Demon does not belong to an inherited naming tradition in English. Its appearance as a given name is occasional and recent rather than the result of a long-established naming custom.
How Popular is the Name Demon?
Demon 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 1974. Its best rank was #1,477 in 1974.
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 | #12,490 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2024 | #11,221 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #12,582 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #9,816 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #11,098 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #8,977 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #8,985 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #9,882 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #8,463 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #7,830 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2007 | #6,346 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 2006 | #6,559 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2005 | #7,245 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #8,314 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #5,338 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2002 | #6,658 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #3,642 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2000 | #3,331 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1999 | #3,874 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1998 | #3,214 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1997 | #5,028 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1996 | #3,869 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1995 | #3,738 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1994 | #3,633 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1993 | #3,277 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1992 | #2,614 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1991 | #2,930 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1990 | #2,803 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 1989 | #2,926 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1988 | #2,992 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1987 | #3,379 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1986 | #3,938 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1985 | #2,444 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1984 | #2,181 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1983 | #3,108 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1982 | #1,738 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1981 | #2,100 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1980 | #1,973 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1979 | #2,004 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1978 | #1,622 | 34 | 0.0021% |
| 1977 | #1,833 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 1976 | #1,655 | 32 | 0.0020% |
| 1975 | #1,515 | 35 | 0.0022% |
| 1974 | #1,477 | 35 | 0.0022% |
| 1973 | #1,705 | 27 | 0.0017% |
| 1972 | #2,097 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 1971 | #5,090 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1970 | #4,878 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1969 | #2,911 | 10 | 0.0006% |
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 Demon 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 have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Demon's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Demon's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.