Girl · Latin · Christian · International
Diana
DianaSay it dy-AN-uh
- Meaning today
- Divine, heavenly
- Original meaning
- "the Roman goddess of the moon and hunting; root div-, 'divine'" Lewis & Short, s.v. Diana
- Say it
- dy-AN-uh
- Other spellings
- Dayana, Dianna, Diyana
Diana
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Diana meaning
Diana is a Christian and international girl's name of Latin origin.
The Roman goddess of the moon and hunting; root div-, 'divine'
Also used to mean: heavenly
Diana is the Roman goddess of the moon, of woodland and of hunting, equated with the Greek Artemis. Lewis & Short trace the name to an older Divana, from the root div- that also gives Latin deus, 'god', divus, 'divine', and dies, 'day', which is why name lists render it 'divine' or 'heavenly'. In English the name appears in Renaissance literature and, in recent memory, was borne by Diana, Princess of Wales. In India it is used by Christian families everywhere, and Kerala parents often write it Dayana.
Source: Lewis & Short, A Latin Dictionary (1879), s.v. Diana · entry Diana · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Lewis & Short, Diana (alatius.com) · Wikipedia, Diana (name) · Wikipedia, Diana Hayden
Famous namesakes
- Diana, Princess of Wales
- Diana Hayden, Miss World 1997
Popularity abroad
- #244 United States, girls 2025 (down 2 from 242 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #275 England and Wales, girls 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Diana · Dayana · Dianna · Diyana