Girl · Greek · Christian · International
Daphne
DaphneSay it DAF-nee
- Meaning
- Laurel, the bay tree, sacred to Apollo Liddell, s.v. δάφνη
- Say it
- DAF-nee
- Other spellings
- Dafne
Daphne
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Daphne meaning
Daphne is a Christian and international girl's name of Greek origin.
Laurel, the bay tree, sacred to Apollo
Daphne is the Greek word for the laurel or bay tree, which LSJ notes was sacred to Apollo; his oracle at Delphi spoke from it, and laurel wreaths crowned victors and poets. In Greek myth, Daphne was a nymph who escaped Apollo by being turned into a laurel tree. As a girls' name it is used by Christian families in India, especially in Kerala, Mangalore and Mumbai.
Source: Liddell, Scott & Jones, A Greek–English Lexicon (9th ed., 1940), via Logeion, s.v. δάφνη · entry δάφνη · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: LSJ, δάφνη (via Logeion)
Popularity abroad
- #178 United States, girls 2025 (up 15 from 193 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #125 England and Wales, girls 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Daphne · Dafne