English Names that Start With D

Dee is a slight midcentury nickname that might be short for Deanna or Denise, but might be too slight for today's strong, independent female.

Deanne was one of many variations popular in the middle of the 20th century, during the heyday of Diane and sisters and even cousins. Now, at least one generation away from a comeback.

Deanne

During the heyday of Deborah, Debra, and Debra — the late 1950s and early 60s — there were enough baby girls named Deb, just Deb, for it to make the Top 1000.

Today, Deb is literally extinct for babies, though there are plenty of grownup women called Deb.

The mythical daughter of Eros and Psyche becomes a modern-sounding word name. Danger: could be seen as X-rated. 

Delight

A sweet and simple nature name that could also be short for the surname name Odell, the vintage name Della, or the obscure saint's name Endellion.

Dell

Denishe

Famously borne by actress Diahann Caroll, born Carol Diann Johnson.

Diahann

In its mid-20th century heyday, Deedee — or Didi or Dede — was not infrequently used as a name in its own right. It's a cute, or maybe cutesy, short form of names like Deanne.

Deedee

Fans of the late Princess Diana might remember an early nickname, Shy Di. Di was more commonly heard in the middle of the last century, when Diane and sisters were in top vogue.
 
Today, people may take Di as a very dark word name.

Of all the <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/389/baby-names-with-repeating-sounds">names with repeating sounds</a>, Dede isn't the first we'd use (Lulu or Coco, maybe), but it certainly isn't the last — we much prefer it to Dodo or Fifi.

Dede

Dyan is an early 'creative spelling' publicized by actress Dyan Cannon, but a creative spelling can't revive an uncreative name. Modern parents would much prefer the classic Diana.

Dyan

Not as lively or independent as Gigi, Kiki, or Coco. 

Didi

Dilly

A lot to handle, but it does give a sense of openness, joy, and awe. 

Discovery

Diversity

Novelist Djuna Barnes introduced this interesting and unusual name with an arty, Bohemian feel to the mix. She explained that it was invented by her father, saying it came about as a combination of her infant brother's pronunciation of the word moon as 'nuna' and a character in a book her father was reading, Prince Djalma, and so he "put the Dj onto the 'una'." Result: the silent-D pronunciation (as in Django) of JOON-a.
 Fellow writer Anais Nin adopted the name for a character in her 1950 novel The Four Chambered Heart, and Woody Allen had a young girl called Djuna in his 1996 film Everyone Says I Love You — nicknamed DJ.
 All in an, an attractive and intriguing possibility, that could be associated with the names Junia or Una, or to the word "moon".

Djuna

A form of Dolores (or Delores) that was occasionally used in the early 20th century. It could work as an alternative to Lenora, Laura, Delilah, or Della. 

Delora

Some parents might like this energetic diminutive for Dorothy used in the Bush family, though the traditional Dottie and Dot seem to be coming back.

Doro

Frilly, feminissima, unstylish Dor name. 

Doretta

Not quite Dora or Daria, this name is often dismissed in favor of its more familiar counterparts, but it has versatile appeal, given that it has a number of different origins. It can be considered a feminine form of Dorian, a variation of Dorothy, an elaboration of Dora, or a variation of the Hebrew name Dor, meaning "generation". Also spelled Doria, it is borne by Doria Loyce Ragland, the mother of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

Dorya

English names that start with the letter D for boys and girls, including Dee, Deanne, Deb, Delight, Dell, Denishe, Diahann, Deedee, Di, Dede, Dyan, Didi, Dilly, Discovery, Diversity, Djuna, Delora, Doro, Doretta, and Dorya. (Page 7)

English Names that Start With D

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