This list includes 64 American boy names that start with D, from “Dalton” to “Dylan”. These names range from traditional to modern, and serve well for naming, research, and family records.
American boy names that start with D are masculine given names used in the United States beginning with D. Many appear on Social Security lists, with “Daniel” and “David” long-standing popular examples.
Below you’ll find the table with Name, Pronunciation, Origin/Meaning, and Source.
Name: The given name as used in the U.S., shown so you can scan choices and identify favorites quickly.
Pronunciation: A concise phonetic guide shows how the name sounds, helping you choose names that match your preferred pronunciation.
Origin/Meaning: One-line origin and meaning give cultural context and background so you understand a name’s history and significance.
Source: A brief citation shows where the name usage or meaning is attested, so you can follow up if desired.
American boy names that start with D
| Name | Pronunciation | Origin/Meaning | SSA rank (year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| David | DAE-vid | Hebrew; “beloved” | — |
| Daniel | DAN-yuhl | Hebrew; “God is my judge” | — |
| Dylan | DIL-un | Welsh; “son of the sea” or “born of the sea” | — |
| Dominic | DOH-min-ik | Latin; “belonging to the Lord” | — |
| Diego | dee-EH-go | Spanish form of James/Santiago; “supplanter” | — |
| Dean | DEEN | English; “valley” or “church official” | — |
| Dawson | DAW-sən | English; “son of Daw” (David) | — |
| Dashiell | DASH-yell | Possibly Norman/French; uncertain origin, literary use | — |
| Darius | DAIR-ee-us | Persian; “kingly, wealthy” | — |
| Darren | DAIR-en | Possibly Irish/Welsh; meaning uncertain, modern coinage | — |
| Donovan | DAHN-uh-vən | Irish; “dark” or “brown-haired chieftain” | — |
| Donald | DAHN-uhld | Gaelic; “world ruler” or “mighty” | — |
| Douglas | DOO-gləs | Scottish Gaelic; “dark river” | — |
| Devin | DEV-in | Irish/Gaelic; “poet” or “little poet” | — |
| Desmond | DEZ-mənd | Irish from Old French; “from South Munster” | — |
| Dalton | DAL-tən | English; “from the valley town” | — |
| Dane | DAYN | English/Scandinavian; “from Denmark” | — |
| Darian | DAIR-ee-ən | Persian/Latin blend; “upholder of good” or variant of Darius | — |
| Darien | DAIR-ee-en | Variant of Darius/Darian; possibly French place name | — |
| Darrell | da-REL | Old French/English; “from Airel” or “beloved” | — |
| Daryl | DAIR-əl | English; variant of Darrell | — |
| Damon | DAY-mən | Greek; “to tame” or “subdue” | — |
| Damian | DAY-mee-ən | Greek/Latin; “to tame” (associated with Saint Damian) | — |
| Derrick | DEH-rik | English; variant of Theodoric, “people-ruler” | — |
| Dexter | DEK-ster | Latin; “right-handed” or “skillful” | — |
| Drake | DRAYK | English; “dragon” or “male duck” | — |
| Dennis | DEN-iss | Greek; “follower of Dionysus” | — |
| Duane | doo-AYN | Irish; “dark” or “black” | — |
| Dustin | DUS-tin | Old Norse/English; “Thor’s stone” or “brave warrior” | — |
| Drew | DROO | Short form of Andrew; “manly” or stands alone | — |
| Dorian | DOR-ee-ən | Greek; possibly “from Doris” or literary from Wilde’s novel | — |
| Don | DON | Short form of Donald; Gaelic roots | — |
| Donnie | DON-ee | Diminutive of Donald | — |
| Demetrius | deh-MEE-tree-əs | Greek; “follower of Demeter” | — |
| Deacon | DEE-kən | Greek via English; “messenger” or “servant” (church office) | — |
| Delbert | DEL-burt | Germanic; “noble and bright” | — |
| Deon | dee-ON | Greek/short form; variant of Dion or DeAndre | — |
| DeAndre | dee-AN-dray | American combining De- prefix + Andre; “manly” | — |
| Dejuan | deh-JWAHN | American formation; likely from De- + Juan | — |
| Demarcus | deh-MAR-kus | Modern American formation from Marcus | — |
| Demario | deh-MAR-ee-oh | Modern American/Italianate; variant of Mario | — |
| Denzel | DEN-zəl | Cornish surname; possibly “from Denzell” | — |
| Dion | DEE-on | Greek; “follower of Dionysus” or short for Dionysius | — |
| Dirk | DURK | Germanic; diminutive of Diederik (ruler) | — |
| Doyle | DOYL | Irish; “dark stranger” (Ó Dubhghaill) | — |
| Delano | de-LAH-no | French/Spanish; “from the alder grove” | — |
| Dante | DAHN-tay | Italian; short form of Durante, “enduring” | — |
| Dario | DAH-ree-oh | Italian/Spanish form of Darius | — |
| Dewey | DOO-ee | Welsh/English; “beloved” or from Dewi (David) | — |
| Duncan | DUN-kan | Scottish Gaelic; “brown warrior” | — |
| Dax | DAKS | French place-name or short modern coinage | — |
| Dmitri | deh-MEE-tree | Russian form of Demetrius | — |
| Domingo | doh-MING-go | Spanish; “born on Sunday” | — |
| Dwayne | DWAYN | Irish/Gaelic via English; “dark, swarthy” or variant of Duane | — |
| Dwight | DWIYT | Old English; “white” or “blond” | — |
| Darin | DAIR-in | Variant of Darren or Daron | — |
| Darnell | dar-NELL | English/Old French; “from Arnes” or variant surname | — |
| Davy | DAY-vee | Diminutive of David | — |
| Denny | DEN-ee | Diminutive of Dennis | — |
| Darryl | DAIR-əl | Variant of Daryl/Darrell | — |
| Dayton | DAY-tən | English surname/place name meaning “day town” | — |
| Dusty | DUS-tee | English; “from the dust” or nickname | — |
| DeWitt | deh-WIT | Dutch; “the white” (De Witt) | — |
| Duke | DOOK | English title or nickname | — |
Descriptions
David
Timeless Hebrew name popular across generations; classic and widely used in the U.S. (Behind the Name)
Daniel
Enduring biblical name combining strength and familiarity — a long-standing U.S. favorite (Behind the Name)
Dylan
Modern-sounding Celtic name popular since the late 20th century (Behind the Name)
Dominic
A traditional Catholic name with upbeat, contemporary feel in the U.S. (Behind the Name)
Diego
A Spanish-rooted name widely used in U.S. Latino communities and beyond (Behind the Name)
Dean
Short, masculine name with a friendly, straightforward vibe (Behind the Name)
Dawson
Surname-turned-first-name with modern, Americana appeal (Behind the Name)
Dashiell
Stylish literary surname used as a given name in the U.S. (Behind the Name)
Darius
Ancient Persian royal name that sounds powerful and modern in English (Behind the Name)
Darren
Popular from the 1960s–1990s, familiar and approachable (Behind the Name)
Donovan
Irish-origin surname now common as a given name in the U.S. (Behind the Name)
Donald
Stately traditional name with mid-20th-century popularity in America (Behind the Name)
Douglas
Classic Scots name often shortened to Doug; dignified and familiar (Behind the Name)
Devin
Unisex-leaning but commonly male in the U.S.; casual, modern sound (Behind the Name)
Desmond
Distinctive Irish name with a cultured, literary feel (Behind the Name)
Dalton
Surname-first-name trend; strong, rural-American vibe (Behind the Name)
Dane
Short, crisp name suggesting Scandinavian heritage (Behind the Name)
Darian
Modern-sounding name used in diverse U.S. communities (Behind the Name)
Darien
Smooth, contemporary name with international flair (Behind the Name)
Darrell
Mid-century favorite with a softly familiar tone (Behind the Name)
Daryl
Common in the U.S. as Daryl/Darryl, casual and approachable (Behind the Name)
Damon
Classical-Greek name with modern cinematic associations (Behind the Name)
Damian
Elegant, saintly name rising in modern use (Behind the Name)
Derrick
Strong, Anglo name popular in the late 20th century (Behind the Name)
Dexter
Clever, slightly quirky name with revived modern use (Behind the Name)
Drake
Short, bold name with literary and pop-culture presence (Behind the Name)
Dennis
Classic mid-century name still used; gentle, familiar sound (Behind the Name)
Duane
Distinctive two-syllable name with strong consonant start (Behind the Name)
Dustin
Surname-origin name that gained popularity in late 20th century (Behind the Name)
Drew
Sharp, one-syllable name commonly used as a full given name (Behind the Name)
Dorian
Elegant, slightly artistic name with classical roots (Behind the Name)
Don
Simple, strong one-syllable name often used as diminutive or standalone (Behind the Name)
Donnie
Casual nickname sometimes given as a legal name (Behind the Name)
Demetrius
Classical, rhythmic name used in varied U.S. communities (Behind the Name)
Deacon
Occupational and religious term turned stylish given name (Behind the Name)
Delbert
Old-fashioned American name with a homey, vintage feel (Behind the Name)
Deon
Short, modern name used in African-American and broader U.S. communities (Behind the Name)
DeAndre
Contemporary African-American name formation widely attested in U.S. records (Behind the Name)
Dejuan
Modern, U.S.-based name combining cultural elements; common in some communities (Behind the Name)
Demarcus
Blends Roman root Marcus with De- prefix; common in U.S. usage (Behind the Name)
Demario
Contemporary U.S. name with a rhythmic, melodic quality (Behind the Name)
Denzel
Distinctive modern name with celebrity recognition (Behind the Name)
Dion
Smooth, short name with pop-cultural ties (Behind the Name)
Dirk
Strong, blunt one-syllable name with Northern European roots (Behind the Name)
Doyle
Surname-first-name with distinctive sound and Irish heritage (Behind the Name)
Delano
Used in the U.S. as an elegant, somewhat presidential-feeling name (Behind the Name)
Dante
Literary and artsy Italian name well-used in America (Behind the Name)
Dario
Mediterranean-flavored variant of Darius, friendly and international (Behind the Name)
Dewey
Vintage American name with a folksy, nostalgic vibe (Behind the Name)
Duncan
Stately Scottish name used occasionally in the U.S. (Behind the Name)
Dax
Short, punchy name with contemporary cool factor (Behind the Name)
Dmitri
Slavic variant of an ancient Greek name; used in U.S. families with Eastern heritage (Behind the Name)
Domingo
Spanish-language classic seen in U.S. Latino communities (Behind the Name)
Dwayne
Popular in the U.S. especially in the late 20th century (Behind the Name)
Dwight
Old-fashioned, strong Anglo name with mid-century U.S. use (Behind the Name)
Darin
Simple modern variant with soft vowel sounds; used in the U.S. (Behind the Name)
Darnell
Surname-turned-first-name common in mid-to-late 20th-century America (Behind the Name)
Davy
Affectionate nickname sometimes used as a full given name (Behind the Name)
Denny
Friendly, informal diminutive that appears as a legal name for some men (Behind the Name)
Darryl
Common mid-century American name with smooth sound (Behind the Name)
Dayton
Modern surname-as-first-name with a clean, Americana feel (Behind the Name)
Dusty
Casual nickname that appears as a given name in the U.S. (Behind the Name)
DeWitt
Surname-origin given name occasionally used in America (Behind the Name)
Duke
Bold, aristocratic-sounding one-syllable name used as a given name (Behind the Name)