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Bonds Babies 2015 - Unusual Ds

imogeneve
By imogeneve
Updated Tue Oct 27 2015
The Bonds baby search is a popular annual modelling competition, that is nationwide in Australia, for bubs under three. I've compilied a list of all the names that only occur once, trying to not include varied spellings (eg I counted Dara/Darragh as the same name). Where middle or hyphens are provided, I've included these, although generally it is the first name that makes it unique. These are the unusual names that start with D. If you notice any errors, please let me know.
  1. Daphne

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "laurel tree, bay tree"

    • Description:

      In Greek mythology, Daphne was the nymph daughter of Peneus, a river god. Peneus saved Daphne from Apollo’s romantic obsessions by transforming her into a laurel tree. It is from this myth that the plant genus daphne, which contains the laurel species, gets its name.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Dawson

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "son of David"

    • Description:

      Dawson was scarcely heard as a first name before the debut of Dawson's Creek in 1998, at which point it leaped up more than 550 places in one year. The character Dawson Leery, played by James Van Der Beek, was a teen favorite until the show's demise in 2003.
  5. Davina

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "little deer"

    • Description:

      A Scottish favorite that could make it here thanks to its similarity to the word divine. It's the most popular of several feminizations of David used in Scotland, including Davida, Davinia and Davidina, which have less of a chance in the U.S. It reentered the US Top 1000 for the first time in two decades in 2016.
  6. Dolly

    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Dorothy

    • Meaning:

      "gift of God"

    • Description:

      Hello, Dolly! Okay, we couldn't resist, but be warned: Most people who meet your little Dolly won't be able to either. This nickname-name, rarely heard since whatever decade Dolly Parton was born, is singing a fashionable note again along with sisters Dottie and Dixie; it was chosen for one of their twin girls by Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell.
  7. Donald

    • Origin:

      Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "proud chief"

    • Description:

      Donald has been used for centuries in Scotland, where the Macdonald clan is one of the most ancient and where there have been six early Scottish kings by that name. Donald was a Top 20 name throughout most of the early twentieth century.
  8. 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.
  9. Delta

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "fourth letter; island formed at the mouth of a river"

    • Description:

      Delta is an unusual vintage option, blending the sounds of Della and Etta. The fourth letter of the Greek alphabet and a geographical term, used to describe an island formed at the mouth of a river, some may be put off by Delta's links the airline company of COVID variant on the same name.
  10. Devon

    • Origin:

      English place-name

    • Description:

      Devon, spelled like the lovely seaside county in Britain that inspired the name, has crashed since its heyday around the Top 100 in the 1990s. Despite its use as a female name, for example for Devon on the TV show The 4400, Devon continues to be far more popular for boys than for girls.
  11. Dot

    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Dorothy

    • Description:

      Old-fangled nickname could make dot.com era short form or middle name.
  12. Donna

    • Origin:

      Italian

    • Meaning:

      "lady"

    • Description:

      Literally meaning "lady" in Italian, Donna was the perfect ladylike housewife mom name on The Donna Reed Show in the fifties and sixties. And there were plenty of namesakes: Donna was in the Top 10 in 1964. These days we'd be more likely to associate it with the emanciatpated clothes of Donna Karen than as a baby name.
  13. Dan

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "God is my judge"

    • Description:

      Often stands alone in Israel, but rarely here.
  14. Dhani

    • Origin:

      Hindi

    • Meaning:

      "rich"

    • Description:

      Dhani is a haunting Hindi name for boys that's a million miles away from the similar-sounding Danny or Donny. One notable namesake is musician Dhani Harrison, look-alike son of Beatle George. He is named after the sixth and seventh notes of the Indian music scale, 'dha' and 'ni'. 'Dhani' is also a raga in north Indian classical music. Another noted bearer is longtime NFL linebacker Dhani Jones.
  15. Demetrius

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "follower of Demeter"

    • Description:

      Classical and Shakespearean name that may appeal if you like your names long, flowing and multicultural.
  16. Devlin

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "unlucky"

    • Description:

      Devlin is an Irish name that's fresher and even more devilish than Devin.

      The earliest written record of this surname occurs in the thirteenth century, when an O'Devlin was appointed Bishop of Kells in 1211.

  17. Darya

    • Origin:

      Russian or Persian, variation of Daria or feminine form of Darius

    • Meaning:

      "kingly; possessing goodness; the sea"

    • Description:

      The beguiling Darya is the name of a character in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. As a Russian name, it's a spelling variation of Daria, while in Iran, it's a girl's name that means "the sea".
  18. Dev

    • Origin:

      Sanskrit

    • Meaning:

      "god"

    • Description:

      This name has recently come on the radar via rising actor Dev Patel, who made his mark in Slumdog Millionaire and then in Lion and is also the name of the lead character played by Aziz Ansari in his sitcom Master of None. It could catch on here, at a time when parents are importing other three-letter names like Liv.
  19. Davi

    • Origin:

      Portuguese variation of David, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "beloved"

    • Description:

      Davi is a Portuguese variant of David, meaning 'beloved'. It is especially popular in Brazil, where it ranks in the Top 10 names for boys. A rising star in the UK in 2023, Davi was also given to around 140 boys in the US in the same year. While some parents outside of Portuguese speaking communities might be using the name as a streamlined and modern twist on David, the original Portuguese pronunciation is slightly different to the English DAY-vee, and is said da-VEE.
  20. Doc

    • Origin:

      English word name

    • Description:

      A boy with this name is certain to be bombarded with "What's up, doc?" every day of his life. Even Doctor would be preferable.