Darius

Spellings & scripts●

Spellings marked ● are how people bearing the name write it in our records; ○ marks a model's transliteration. Click a spelling to open its page.

Meaning & origin●

Attested across 8 languages in the etymology graph.

Languages●

Language is read off each record's context, not declared by the bearer; a share is of all records for this spelling.

Other names spelled this way◐

Darius is also recorded as 6 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• Lithuanian given name91K records spelled Darius6 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Lithuania, United States, United Kingdom, Philippines

  Languages: Lithuanian, Latvian

  Also written Dariuš, Dārius, Dàrius, Dárius

• Spanish given name31K records spelled Darius4 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United States, Spain, Philippines, Brazil

  Languages: Spanish, Portuguese

  Also written Daríus, D'Arius

• Romanian given name7.3K records spelled Darius2 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Moldova, Romania, United States, Spain

• a separate given name6.9K records spelled Darius4 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United States, India, United Kingdom, Canada

  Also written Dariuš, Daríus, Dárius

• Russian surname5.6K records spelled Darius59 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, United States

  Languages: Russian, Ukrainian, Polish

  Also written Дарий, Дарій, Darii, Дарюс, Dario

• Arabic given name2.1K records spelled Darius3 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United States, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia

  Languages: Arabic, Maltese

  Also written Dárius

56 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●

Darius is also recorded in 5 other lexicons, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• The name 'Darius' is the Latin form of the Greek 'Dareîos' (Δαρεῖος), which is derived from the Old Persian name 'Dārayavaʰuš'. It is generally understood to mean "he who holds firm the good" or "possessing goodness."

  as a name·Biblical Names Compiled Database

• The name Darius is the Latin form of the Greek Dareîos, which comes from the Old Persian name Dārayavaʰuš. It is generally understood to mean "he who holds firm the good" or "possessing goodness".

  as a name·Biblical Names Compiled Database

• In Jewish and Christian traditions, Darius's role in facilitating the rebuilding of the Second Temple is seen as an act of divine providence, demonstrating God's use of foreign rulers to fulfill His promises to Israel. His decrees, recorded in the Book of Ezra, underscore the historical fulfillment of prophecy and the restoration of worship in Jerusalem after the exile.

  as a name·Biblical Names Compiled Database

• In the biblical narrative, Darius the Mede serves as an example of a powerful but ultimately just pagan king who is brought to acknowledge the sovereignty and power of the God of Israel. His story, particularly the episode of the lions' den, illustrates the themes of divine deliverance and the steadfastness of faith in the face of persecution.

  as a name·Biblical Names Compiled Database

• The name Darius, borne by a powerful biblical king, evokes a sense of strength, nobility, and leadership. Associated with a story of justice and divine intervention, it is a classic name with a rich historical and regal background.

  as a name·Biblical Names Compiled Database

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Over time●

US SSA — National Baby Names (1880–present) — 120 years between 1880–2025. One register's own figures, never a sum across registers: two registers counting the same people would double them.

Notable people with this name●

• Darius IIIb. 380last king of the Achaemenid Empire (r. 336–330 BC)
• Darius IIb. 475IQThe ninth Achaemenid emperor (423–404 BC)
• Darius Milhaudb. 1892FRFrench composer (1892–1974)
• Darius Khondjib. 1955FRIranian-born French cinematographer
• Randy Jacksonb. 1956USnot in their usual nameAmerican bassist, singer, record producer, entrepreneur and television personality
• Darius Marderb. 1974USAmerican filmmaker
• Darius McCraryb. 1976USactor
• Darius Songailab. 1978LTLithuanian basketball player (born 1978)
• Darius Campbell Daneshb. 1980GBScottish singer (1980–2022)
• Darius Milesb. 1981USAmerican basketball player (born 1981)

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

Evidence●

Register rows as of the 2026-09-12 data build · 742 rows in the corpus for this spelling.

Frequently asked questions

How common is the name Darius?

We estimate roughly 72 thousand people bear Darius (counting its spellings and scripts) across 14 countries in our records.

In which country does Darius have the most bearers?

We estimate about 41 thousand people bear Darius in the United States, more than in any other country in our records, where it is most often spelled darius.

Where is Darius most common?

Measured as a share of residents rather than as a count, Darius is densest in Lithuania — about 1 in 118 people — even though United States holds more of our records for it.

How common is Darius compared with other names?

In Romania, Darius is the 529th most common given name of 29,954 given names recorded there.

Is Darius a male or female name?

Darius is a male name in our records. Opposite-gender entries fall within the cross-gender noise we measure in the source data, so we don't report them as usage.

What does the name Darius mean?

Recorded meaning: The name Darius is of Persian origin and means "he who holds firm the good."