English Names that Start With D

With Devon so overused, consider a move to the undiscovered neighboring county -- though it's nowhere near as euphonious, rhyming with corset. 

Dorset

Associated all through the swing years with bandleader brothers Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. 

Dorsey

Other occupational names would be more commonly accepted, though the Mad Men character has certainly brought it to the fore.

Draper

A two-syllable surname feel puts this name of an important English saint in the running -- though it could sound like a confused cross between Duncan and Dustin. 

Dunstan

Literary, occupational, and very neglected.

Durward

Doctor is an honorific used as a name, somewhat like names such as Bishop, King, and Princess.  Banned in New Zealand, Doctor can lead to the kind of confusion you may feel would be only positive for your child -- a bona fide Doctor before he even gets to kindergarten.

At its zenith in 1884, Doctor was used for 12 boys, but last year it didn't even clear the five-baby minimum to make it onto the Social Security extended list.

Doctor

Daulton

Drover, an ancient occupational surname, is right in step with today's styles and would make a distinctive choice.  Drover and brothers are fresh updates of such now-widely-used names as Carter and Cooper.

Drover

Drummer entered the baby name lexicon thanks to blogger No Big Dill, who chose it for her newborn son, who joins five older sisters. Drummer is right in step with other occupational names in vogue now, from Archer to Gardener. Let's just hope Drummer doesn't prefer to play the piano.


Drummer

This name has two origins: the English word Dusk, meaning evening twilight and the <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/529/czech-names-for-girls">Czech name for girls</a> Duška meaning "soul or spirit". Either way, this is an interesting name with some potential.

Duska

Dimity is fairly common in Australia, but unheard of outside of it, which is surprising given its similarity to names like Amity, Verity, and Cassidy. The fabric probably became used as a name given that it was often used in the nineteenth century to make bustles on fashionable clothing, making it ultra-feminine. We think it is a pretty name with great nicknames options including Dimi, Mimi and Mittie.

Dimity

Darnel, the plant from which this name derives, is an intoxicating plant, which used to be grown to make medicines and poisons. 

Durnell

Daisi

A word name that's appealing when applied to a person boogying or doing ballet; a different story in the context of Santa's reindeer. 

Dancer

Unique and fluid river name with the lilt of a Viennese waltz. 

Danube

Derby might be considered a word name or a surname-name. In England, it would be pronounced darby, causing confusion with that similar name.

Derby

Darien

Actress Daryl Hannah made this a girls' name in theory, though in the most recent year counted, about 75 baby boys in the US were named Daryl...and zero baby girls.

Daryl

Once exclusively male name, Daryl Hannah made the Darrell spelling just as appropriate for girls -- and maybe even more feminine than masculine these days.

Darrell

Best associated with the Judy Blume novel of the same name, Deenie is a retro feeling nickname choice. Deenie is gaining fresh style traction along with similar boyish nickname-names for girls: Scottie, Frankie, Stevie.
 
A bit of name trivia: Deenie shot up the Nameberry charts in the Summer of 2026, after it featured in the New York Times Connections puzzle in May of the same year. Could this lead to Deenie making an appearance in the official stats in the future?

Deenie

English names that start with the letter D for boys and girls, including Dorset, Dorsey, Draper, Dunstan, Durward, Doctor, Daulton, Drover, Drummer, Duska, Dimity, Durnell, Daisi, Dancer, Danube, Derby, Darien, Daryl, Darrell, and Deenie. (Page 6)

English Names that Start With D

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