Dainty D Names

  1. Des
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Desmond
    • Description:

      The cool clipped Des may be the part of the name wave of the future, with midcentury names like Des and Vic and Stan riding back into style on the heels of big brothers Max and Sam and Ray.
  2. Desmond
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "one from south Munster"
    • Description:

      Desmond is a sophisticated and debonair name, with noble ties to 1984 Nobel Peace Prize-winning Bishop Desmond Tutu, and with some great nicknames: Des/Dez, Desi/Dezi.
  3. Deveraux
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "of Evreux; riverbank"
    • Description:

      Swashbuckling name worthy of a hero in a romance novel. Deveraux or Devereaux is drawn from the town of Evreux in France and combined with the prefix de- denoting it likely referred to a noble of that area.
  4. Devereaux
    • Origin:

      French surname
    • Meaning:

      "from Evreux; riverbank"
    • Description:

      Devereaux is familiar to many English speakers as a surname but not as a first. It's a habitational name related to the town of Evreux in France, with the prefix de- denoting it likely referred to a noble of that area.
  5. Dexter
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "dyer, right-handed"
    • Description:

      The jazzy, ultra-cool Dexter, like most names with an "x," has a lot of energy and dynamism.
  6. Diana
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "divine"
    • Description:

      Diana, the tragic British princess, inspired many fashions, but strangely, not one for her name. For us, Diana is a gorgeous and still-underused choice.
  7. Didier
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "desired, beloved"
    • Description:

      Didier is kind of a Desiree for boy--a lively, confident name that's widely used in France and has definite possibilities here. It's the name of an early French saint.
  8. Dieter
    • Origin:

      German, diminutive of Dietrich
    • Description:

      Dieter is a classic German name that got lots of satiric exposure via Mike Myers on "Saturday Night Live" a few years back. If mispronounced, it could conceivably be read as someone on a diet.
  9. Dimanche
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "Sunday"
    • Description:

      Pleasant-sounding word that could morph into a unique Sunday-picnic-type name.
  10. Dixie
    • Origin:

      Latin, French
    • Meaning:

      "I have spoken; tenth"
    • Description:

      A sassy, spunky, punchy kind of name, Dixie can also be considered a place name, one that has become problematic because of its association with the antebellum South. The Dixie Chicks recently dropped Dixie from their band name because of its association with slavery and white privilege.
  11. Dodie
    • Origin:

      English diminutive of Dorothy
    • Meaning:

      "gift of god"
    • Description:

      Sweet old-fashioned nickname name that could make a comeback in the wake of Sadie et al. Famous bearers include author Dodie Smith, who wrote The Hundred and One Dalmatians and I Capture the Castle.
  12. Donny
    • Donovan
      • Origin:

        Irish
      • Meaning:

        "dark"
      • Description:

        One of the first of the appealing Irish surnames to take off in this country, this boys’ name has long outgrown its "Mellow Yellow" association, which came via the single from a sixties singer-songwriter named Donovan.
    • Doran
      • Origin:

        Irish
      • Meaning:

        "stranger, exile"
      • Description:

        Strong but gentle Irish last-name-first. Could bring to mind long-running rock group Duran Duran.
    • Dorian
      • Origin:

        Greek, name of a tribe
      • Description:

        The Dorians were an ancient Greek tribe, one of the three major pre-Spartan tribes. It literally means "of Doris," a Greek district, or "of Doros," referring to the son of Helen of Sparta. Dorian derives from the Greek doron, meaning "gift," along with related names such as Dorothy and Dora.
    • Dorothy
      • Origin:

        English variation of Greek Dorothea
      • Meaning:

        "gift of God"
      • Description:

        In the 1930s, Dorothy left Kansas and landed in the Land of Oz; by the '80s she had become a Golden Girl, living in Miami with roommates Blanche and Rose, giving her a decidedly older image. But parents today seeking a quiet classic are bringing Dorothy back—she reentered the Top 1000 in 2011 after almost completely disappearing.
    • Dory
      • Origin:

        French
      • Meaning:

        "gift of God"
      • Description:

        A Dorothy nickname name with a measure of nostalgic charm. Kids will associate it with the funny fish character voiced by Ellen DeGeneres in the Pixar animated instant classic Finding Nemo.
    • Dottie
      • Origin:

        English, diminutive of Dorothy
      • Meaning:

        "gift of God"
      • Description:

        Dottie and Dot are old Dorothy nicknames that some cutting-edge Brits are bringing back to fashion. It's been half a century since Dottie ranked on its own in this country, one of those nickname names that flourished in the 1890's.
    • Draco
      • Origin:

        Greek from Latin
      • Meaning:

        "dragon"
      • Description:

        For as long as we all shall live, Harry Potter's sneering nemesis.
    • Drake
      • Origin:

        English word name
      • Meaning:

        "dragon; or, male duck"
      • Description:

        A simple one-syllable name that has been on the popularity list since the mid-1980s, Drake is most associated today with the single-named rapper (born Aubrey). The name peaked at Number 197 in 2010 and has since been on a slow decline, but it still can be counted among the stylish contemporary boy names starting with D.