How to say it
DA · mi · an
/ˈdeɪ.mi.ən/
Masculine
Damian
Tame, gentle
What it means
Greek Damianos, from damao ('to tame, to subdue'). Saints Cosmas and Damian were 3rd-century twin physicians who worked without payment; they're patrons of doctors and pharmacists.
Damian comes from the Greek Damianos, from damao ('to tame, to subdue'). Saints Cosmas and Damian were 3rd-century twin physicians from Arabia who treated patients without payment, and were martyred together; they're patrons of doctors, surgeons, and pharmacists across the Catholic and Orthodox traditions. The Polish form Damian gives the name particular currency in Eastern European Catholic communities. The Omen (1976) used the name for its Antichrist child, which lingered as cultural baggage through the 1980s but has largely faded. The English-language US has used the name in earnest since the 1990s; it entered the top 100 in 2010. Common short: Dame.
Popularity over time
peaked at #98 in 2013, currently #109 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
The Omen (1976) made Damien the horror-genre association; that's faded but still surfaces. Saints Cosmas and Damian are the older anchor.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Saint Damian 3rd-century physician martyr, patron of doctors with his twin brother Cosmas
- Damian Hurst British artist of the Young British Artists generation (Hurst as surname)
Spelling variants
- Damien
- Damon
Names with the same feeling
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