BabyNameScore

Daphne

DAF·nee, IPA /ˈdæf.ni/. · 2 syllables

Daphne is comfortably familiar.

91/100

Strong Practical Fit

Balanced across pronunciation, everyday use, lifetime fit and international use.

Name Profile

  1. Pronunciation & Spelling

    Clear, with one common misreading

    A documented English pronunciation is on file: DAF-nee, IPA /ˈdæf.ni/. Commonly mispronounced as DAFF-nee vs. DAYF-nee confusion over the first vowel.

    91/100

  2. Everyday Use

    Low risk

    Shortens naturally in everyday use, to one established short form.

    95/100

  3. Growing Up

    Strong lifetime fit

    Works comfortably across child and adult settings.

    82/100

  4. International Use

    Broad international fit

    Works cleanly across the assessed languages and writing systems.

    85/100

NAME DETAILS

COMMON FORMS
Daph
CLOSE SPELLINGS
Daphnee
Daphney
OTHER-LANGUAGE FORMS
Dafni
Dafna
Defne
Dafne
ORIGIN & HISTORY

About the name

Daphne's core cultural story is inseparable from the Greek myth: pursued by the god Apollo (who had been struck by Cupid's golden arrow of love, while Daphne was struck by his leaden arrow of aversion), Daphne prayed to her father, the river god Peneus, who transformed her into a laurel tree to save her from Apollo's advances. Apollo then declared the laurel forever sacred to him, which is why laurel wreaths came to crown victors, poets, and emperors in the ancient world. No significant uncertainty: the Greek 'laurel' etymology and the Apollo/Daphne myth are well-attested and consistent across the independent classical and onomastic sources checked.

  1. Δάφνη (Daphnē) — Ancient Greek. 'Laurel' — from ancient Greek Δάφνη (daphnē), meaning the laurel or bay tree. Beyond the myth, Daphne is attested in the ancient world as a genuine place name — most notably the sacred grove and suburb of Daphne near Antioch, associated with Apollo and named for the myth. As a modern English personal given name it came into use at the end of the 19th century, part of the broader late-Victorian and Edwardian revival of Greek mythological and classical names in the English-speaking world.
  2. Mythological and religious contextIn Greek mythology, Daphne was a nymph (daughter of the river god Peneus in Thessaly) pursued by the god Apollo. To escape him, she prayed to her father for help and was transformed into a laurel tree. Apollo then declared the laurel sacred to him ever after, which is why laurel wreaths came to crown victors, poets, and emperors in the ancient world.
POPULARITY

Daphne over time

United States
#178RANK

Rank #178 gives national context, not a classroom forecast.

Recognizable without feeling automatic. Ranked #178 in the U.S., 2025.

SourceU.S. Social Security Administration · 2025 release

Pronunciation & Forms

SAY IT

DAF·nee, IPA /ˈdæf.ni/.

STRESS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE

COMMON FORMS
  • Daph
CLOSE SPELLINGS
  • Daphnee
  • Daphney
OTHER-LANGUAGE FORMS
  • DafniEL
  • DafnaHE
  • DefneTR
  • DafneIT/PT/ES
PRACTICAL LIFE

How This Name Lives

AT SCHOOL & DAY TO DAY

Friendly and easy for a child, softened by its familiar use for the bubbly 'Scooby-Doo' character Daphne Blake, while still carrying classical weight for later life.

INTO ADULTHOOD

Reads as classic, refined, and slightly formal for an adult, carrying genuine mythological and literary depth (Ovid, the laurel-wreath tradition) alongside lighter pop-culture recognition via 'Scooby-Doo' and 'Frasier.'

Cultural Footprint

Daphne carries an unusually direct and well-attested chain between a Greek myth, a literal Greek word (daphnē, 'laurel'), and an enduring cultural symbol — the laurel wreath of victory, echoed in the title 'poet laureate' and in the crowns awarded at the ancient Pythian Games at Delphi — distinguishing it from names whose mythological ties are looser or more speculative.

TRACEABLE ORIGIN
  1. Daphne Blakecharacter in the 'Scooby-Doo' franchise
  2. Daphne Mooncharacter in 'Frasier'
  3. Daphne Bridgertoncharacter in 'Bridgerton'
  4. Daphnesacred grove/suburb of ancient Antioch, named for the myth

Community Impressions

Comes across as classic, refined, and pleasantly retro, drawing equally on its ancient Greek mythological pedigree and its familiar use for well-loved fictional characters.

How this name is commonly received · not used in the score

More about Daphne

FORMALITY

Functions as a complete formal given name; the informal short form 'Daph' exists but is not standardized.

Names around it

ChloePhoebeLaurel
EDITORIAL SYNTHESIS

The Decision

Daphne is spelled without unusual letter patterns, and it holds up in everyday use. Surname-dependent compatibility remains unassessed until a surname is added.

STRENGTH

A documented English pronunciation is on file. Uses standard characters that systems widely handle cleanly.

BEST FIT

Everyday Use is the strongest-scoring part of this name — no obvious nickname traps, rhymes, or initial issues detected.

FULL-NAME CHECK

See how it works with a surname.

Daphne