Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Dorian

Dorian

♀ Girl

Pronounced DOR-ee-un /ˈdɔːr.i.ən/High

Meaning: From Greek Dorieus, 'of the Dorians' - one of the major ancient Greek peoples, who gave their name to the Doric dialect and the Doric order of columns. Used here for a girl, though it is overwhelmingly a boy's name.Medium

In 30 seconds: A classical name: Dorian means 'of the Dorians,' an ancient Greek people (said 'DOR-ee-un'). Overwhelmingly a boy's name, which we note.
💕 Browse more names
Origin MediumGreek
MeaningFrom Greek Dorieus, 'of the Dorians' - one of the major ancient Greek peoples, who gave their name to the Doric dialect and the Doric order of columns. Used here for a girl, though it is overwhelmingly a boy's name.
U.S. rank (2024)#15868 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1983
Total births (all-time)≈ 4,534

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 198319192024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Dorian comes from Greek Dorieus, 'of the Dorians,' one of the main peoples of ancient Greece whose name survives in the Doric dialect and the Doric order of architecture. As a given name it was rare until Oscar Wilde used it for the title character of The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), a novel about a young man whose portrait ages in his place; the book made the name widely known, and readers still associate the two. Dorian is overwhelmingly given to boys, and its use here for a girl is a clear cross-sex lean, which we note plainly (said 'DOR-ee-un').

For girls it appears only in very small numbers, against far heavier use for boys. Rare here, classical, and literary.

Did you know? The Dorians were one of the great peoples of ancient Greece, remembered in the Doric dialect and the plain, sturdy Doric column - and the name reached most modern readers through Oscar Wilde's 1890 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Overall data confidence 60%
References - Dorian — Greek Dorieus 'of the Dorians'; Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890)

Variations

DorienDoryanDorion

Nicknames

DoriDorRyan

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Dorian…

Doris— a like Greek Dor- name
Theodora— a like Greek classical girls' pick
Adrian— a like -ian classical name
Melian— the same literary feel
Sebastian— another Greek name

Explore names like Dorian

By themegreekcross-sexliteraryclassical

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Dorian mean?

Dorian is Greek for 'of the Dorians,' an ancient Greek people. It is overwhelmingly a boy's name, which we note plainly.

How do you pronounce Dorian?

It's said DOR-ee-un /ˈdɔːr.i.ən/ - three syllables, stress on the first.

Is Dorian a boy or girl name?

Dorian is overwhelmingly a boy's name; it is used here for a girl, and we note that lean plainly.

How popular is Dorian?

For girls Dorian is extremely rare in the U.S., while it is far commoner for boys.

💬 Ask Nia