Parenting - Prenatal to preschool/Parenting_PrenatalToPreschool.bin/dp/0037/00371.txt

Text File | 1993-06-25 | 18KB | 537 lines

$Unique_ID{PAR00371}
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$Title{Names for Girls:  D}
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Editors of Consumer Guide
Harder, Kelsey}
$Subject{Names Girls D}
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The Ultimate Baby Name Book


Names for Girls:  D


Dace (see Candace)

Dacey (see Candace)

Dael (see Dale)

Daff (see Daphne)

Daffodil           Middle English affodile from Latin affodillus, "lily."
                   This "flower" name was popular at the turn of the century,
                   but it is hardly ever chosen by new parents today.
        Nickname:  Daffy

Daffy (see Daffodil, Daphne)

Dagmar             Danish "glory of the day."

Daile (see Dale)

Daisie (see Daisy)

Daisy              Old English daeges-eage, "the day's eye," a reference to
                   the sun; also, a flower.  Once a very popular name, Daisy
                   is increasingly unusual.  Several literary heroines have
                   this name, including Henry James' Daisy Miller; Daisy
                   Buchanan, the girl pursued by Jay Gatsby in F Scott
                   Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby; Judith Krantz's best-selling
                   Princess Daisy; and the title character of Driving Miss
                   Daisy, the 1988 Pulitzer-Prize-winning play.
     Famous name:  Daisy Lowe (founder of the Girl Scouts)
  Other spelling:  Daisie
       Variation:  Candace

Dakota             American Indian tribal name.

Dale               Old English "valley."  This name is popular for both boys
                   and girls in Great Britain and Australia, but it's rarely
                   used for girls in the United States.
      Variations:  Dael, Daile, Dayle

Dalila (see Delilah)

Dana               Celtic "from Denmark"; also, a variation of Daniele.  In
                   Scandinavian mythology, Dana is the mother of the gods,
                   but in the United States, this name is used for both boys
                   and girls.
     Famous name:  Dana Wynter (actress)

Danella (see Daniele)

Danette (see Daniele)

Dani, Danie (see Daniele)

Dania (see Daniele)

Danice (see Daniele)

Daniela, Daniella (see Daniele)

Daniele, Danielle  Feminine forms of Daniel, Hebrew "God is my judge."  The
                   French spelling of this name is its most-popular form.
                   Daniel was a biblical prophet, and like many other
                   masculine names from the Bible, Daniel has only recently
                   come into general use.  This name often ranks number one
                   in popularity polls.
       Nicknames:  Dani, Danie, Dannie
      Variations:  Dana, Danella, Danette, Dania, Danice, Daniela (Spanish),
                   Daniella, Danielle (French), Danita, Danya

Danita (see Daniele)

Dannie (see Daniele)

Danya (see Daniele)

Daphna (see Daphne)

Daphne             Greek "laurel tree."  In Greek mythology, the nymph Daphne
                   had pledged herself to the goddess Artemis, and when the
                   god Apollo pursued Daphne, she prayed to Artemis to save
                   her.  The goddess answered her request by transforming her
                   into a laurel tree.  In ancient Greece, the laurel was
                   bestowed on the winners of athletic contests, and in
                   England, a crown of laurels is given to the poet laureate.
     Famous name:  Daphne du Maurier (novelist)
       Nicknames:  Daff, Daffy
       Variation:  Daphna

Darcie (see Darcy)

Darcy              French d'arcy, "of the fortress."
  Other spelling:  Darcie

Daria              Feminine form of Latin Darius, meaning uncertain but
                   usually "king."  This name also could stem from Old
                   English dar, "dare."  It is an extremely unusual name.
     Famous name:  Daria Nicoloda (actress)

Darl (see Darlene)

Darla (see Darlene)

Darleen (see Darlene)

Darlene            Old English deorling, "darling."  This name has little
                   history, but it was extremely popular from the late-1940s
                   through the mid-1960s and spun off many variations.
     Famous name:  Daryl Hannah (actress)
 Other spellings:  Darleen, Darline
      Variations:  Darl, Darla, Darlyn, Daryl, Darylyne

Darline (see Darlene)

Darlyn, Darlyne (see Darlene)

Daryl (see Darlene)

Davora             Possibly a variation of Deborah; also, a feminine form of
                   David, Hebrew "beloved of God."

Dawn               Old English dagian, "daybreak."  Aurora was the Roman
                   goddess of dawn, and during the nineteenth century, her
                   name was popular in England, perhaps imitating the
                   popularity of Aurore in France.  The English translation of
                   the goddess' name, Dawn, came into use as a given name
                   sometime in the late-1800s, but it wasn't until the 1960s
                   that the name became popular in the United States.  By
                   1970, Dawn was the eleventh most-popular name.  Its use
                   today appears to be undergoing a similarly spectacular
                   decline.

Dayle (see Dale)

Dayo               Yoruba (Nigeria) "joy arrives."

Deanna, Dena       Feminine form of Dean, Old English "from the valley."

Deb (see Deborah)

Debara (see Deborah)

Debbie             Form of Deborah.
    Famous names:  Debbie Allen (dancer)
                   Debbie Reynolds (actress)
                   Debi Thomas (figure skater)
 Other spellings:  Debby, Debi

Debbora (see Deborah)

Debby (see Debbie, Deborah)

Debi (see Debbie, Deborah)

Debora (see Deborah)

Deborah            Hebrew "bee."  The first biblical Deborah was Rebecca's
                   nurse; the second Deborah called for an uprising against
                   the Canaanites.  She is attributed with the Song of
                   Deborah, one of the oldest poems in the Bible; it honors
                   the triumph of the Israelites.  The Puritans frequently
                   used this name, and in the 1950s and 1960s, several forms
                   of the name were popular, perhaps because of actress Debbie
                   Reynolds.
    Famous names:  Debrah Farentino (actress)
                   Deborah Kerr (actress)
                   Deborah Norville (broadcast journalist)
                   Deborah Raffin (actress)
                   Debra Winger (actress)
 Other spellings:  Debra, Debrah
       Nicknames:  Deb, Debi, Debbie, Debby
      Variations:  Davora, Debara, Debbora, Debora (Dutch), Deboricia,
                   Deborrah, Devora (Israeli)

Deboricia (see Deborah)

Deborrah (see Deborah)

Debra (see Deborah)

Debrah (see Deborah)

Dede (see Deidre, Delia)

Dee                Welsh du, "dark"; also, a form of Deidre or Delia.

Dehilia (see Deidre)

Dehlia (see Delia)

Deidra (see Deidre)

Deidre             Possibly Celtic derdriu, "angry, raging, flaming."  The
                   heroine of an Irish legend, Deidre fled with her lover to
                   England, and when he was killed on their return, she died
                   on his grave.
    Famous names:  Diedra English (writer and publisher)
                   Deidre Hall (actress)
       Nicknames:  Dede, Dee
      Variations:  Dehilia, Deidra

Del (see Adalia)

Dela (see Adalia)

Delia              Greek "from Delos," a Mediterranean island.
  Other spelling:  Dehlia
       Nicknames:  Dede, Dee, Didi
      Variations:  Delinda, Della

Delila (see Delilah)

Delilah            Hebrew "gentle, tender" or "temptress."  The biblical
                   Delilah robbed Samson of his power by cutting off his hair
                   while he slept.  With this odious connotation, it's not
                   surprising that the name hasn't been popular.
  Other spelling:  Delila
      Variations:  Dalila, Lila, Lilah

Delinda (see Delia)

Della              Form of Adelaide.
     Famous name:  Della Reese (singer)
       Variation:  Delia

Delora (see Dolores)

Deloris (see Dolores)

Delta              Greek.  Delta is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet.
     Famous name:  Delta Burke (actress)

Deni (see Denise)

Denice (see Denise)

Denise             Feminine form of Dennis, French "god of wine."  Dionysus
                   was the Greek god of wine and drama, and was also known as
                   Bacchus.  Like the masculine French form Dennis, this
                   girls' name has been popular for centuries.
     Famous name:  Denise Levertov (poet)
  Other spelling:  Denice
       Nicknames:  Deni, Denni
      Variations:  Denyce, Denyse, Dion, Dione, Dionetta

Denni (see Denise)

Denyce (see Denise)

Denyse (see Denise)

Desiree            French "desired one."

Devora (see Deborah)

Di (see Diana)

Diahann            Variation of Diana.
     Famous name:  Diahann Carroll (actress)

Dian (see Diana)

Diana              Greek deus, "god, divine," through Latin dius.  Diana was a
                   major Roman goddess, derived from two Greek goddesses,
                   Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and the moon, and Jana,
                   the wife of Janus and goddess of the night.  The Romans
                   applied the myths about Artemis to Diana.  She was a
                   powerful goddess, rivaling Minerva, the goddess of wisdom,
                   and Venus, the goddess of love and beauty.  The French form
                   Diane became popular in the sixteenth century because of
                   Diane de Poitiers, the famous mistress of Henry II of
                   France.  While the name lacks important past royal
                   connotations, it reigns supreme today in Diana, the
                   princess of Wales.  It may be that the name has never
                   enjoyed such widespread popularity as it now does.
    Famous names:  Diana Ross (singer)
                   Diana Vreeland (fashion journalist)
      Variations:  Di, Diahann, Dian, Diane, Dianne, Dyan, Dyanne

Diane, Dianne      Variation of Diana.
    Famous names:  Diane Keaton (actress)
                   Dianne Feinstein (politician)
                   Diane Sawyer (journalist)

Didi (see Delia)

Dilsey (see Dulci)

Dina               Form of Dinah or Geraldine.
     Famous name:  Dina Merrill (actress)

Dinah              Hebrew "judgment."  In the Bible, Dinah was the beautiful
                   daughter of Jacob and Leah.  The name has never been
                   popular, even though it's been in existence for centuries.
    Famous names:  Dinah Manoff (actress)
                   Dinah Shore (singer)
  Other spelling:  Dina

Dion (see Denise, Dionne)

Dione (see Denise)

Dionee (see Dionne)

Dionetta (see Denise)

Dionne             Greek "divine queen."
     Famous name:  Dionne Warwick (singer)
      Variations:  Dion, Dionee

Diorbhail (see Dorothea)

Dix (see Dixie)

Dixie              French "tenth"; also, a form of Richard, Old English
                   "strong ruler."  This unusual name has enjoyed its
                   historically greatest popularity in the southern part of
                   the United States in recent years, probably because it is
                   the affectionate name for the Old South.
    Famous names:  Dixie Carter (actress)
                   Dixie Lee Carter (governor)
  Other spelling:  Dixy
        Nickname:  Dix

Dixy (see Dixie)

Dodie (see Dorothea)

Dodo (see Dorothea)

Dody (see Dorothea)

Doll (see Dolly, Dorothea)

Dolley, Dollie (see Dolly, Dorothea)

Dolly              Possible variation of Dorothea; or a variation of doll.
                   This name may have begun as a nickname, but it appears to
                   have developed roots of its own.  It is the name of several
                   minor characters in eighteenth-century fiction.  Dolley
                   Madison, the wife of President James Madison and a
                   celebrated hostess, used the -ey ending.
     Famous name:  Dolly Parton (singer)
 Other spellings:  Dolley, Dollie
        Nickname:  Doll

Dolores            Latin dolere, "pain, sorrow."  Maria de Dolores is a
                   Spanish name for the Virgin Mary, and this name honors the
                   mother of Christ.
     Famous name:  Delores Del Rio (actress)
      Variations:  Deloris, Delora (Italian), Dolorita, Lola, Lolita

Dolorita (see Dolores)

Domela (see Donna)

Dona (see Donna)

Donella (see Donna)

Donna              Latin domina, "lady."  This name sounds like a feminine
                   version of Don, which may explain why it has become such a
                   popular name in the last 40 years.
    Famous names:  Donna Mills (actress)
                   Donna Summer (singer)
      Variations:  Domela, Dona (Spanish), Donella, Donnie, Mona

Donnie (see Donna)

Dora               Variation of Dorothea or Pandora.  Although this name
                   probably started as a nickname, by the nineteenth century,
                   it was a given name in its own right.  In literature, Dora
                   is the wife of Dickens' character David Copperfield.
       Nicknames:  Dori, Dorie, Dorrie, Dory
      Variations:  Doralin, Doralynne, Dorelia, Dorena, Dorette

Doralin (see Dora)

Doralynne (see Dora)

Dorcas             Greek "gazelle."  If you want your baby daughter to be
                   graceful and light on her feet, you might choose this name.
       Variation:  Dorcia

Dorcia (see Dorcas)

Dordi (see Dorothea)

Dore (see Aime)

Doreen             Irish Doirean, a form of Dorthea.
     Famous name:  Doreen Tracey (actress)
 Other spellings:  Dorene, Dorine
       Variation:  Dorina

Dorelia (see Dora, Dorothea)

Dorena (see Dora)

Dorene (see Doreen)

Dorette (see Dora)

Dori, Doria (see Dora, Doris)

Dorice (see Doris)

Dorika (see Dorothea)

Dorila (see Dorothea)

Dorina (see Doreen, Dorothea)

Dorine (see Doreen)

Doris              Possibly Greek "richness from the sea"; also, the name of
                   a mythological sea nymph.  This name was popular in the
                   late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, but today,
                   few new parents choose to name their daughters Doris.
    Famous names:  Doris Day (actress)
                   Doris Lessing (novelist)
 Other spellings:  Dorice, Dorris
       Nicknames:  Dori, Dorie, Dorrie, Dorry
       Variation:  Dorita

Dorita (see Doris)

Dorle (see Dorothea)

Dorlisa (see Dorothea)

Dorolice (see Dorothea)

Dorota (see Dorothea)

Dorotea (see Dorothea)

Doroteya (see Dorothea)

Dorotez (see Dorothea)

Dorothea           Greek Theodora, "gift of god."  St. Dorothea was an early
                   Christian martyr who refused to worship idols.  The English
                   version Dorothy was an extremely popular name dating to
                   Shakespeare's time.  Like other popular names, it spun off
                   many variations, including the fanciful Doralicia and
                   Dorinda, and the pet name Doll, which became the name for
                   the children's toy.  In literature, the most-prominent
                   Dorothea appears in Goethe's Hermann und Dorothea.  The
                   name continued to be popular until the beginning of this
                   century, but its popularity has faded drastically.
    Famous names:  Dorothea Dix (civil rights reformer)
                   Dorothy Hamill (figure skater)
                   Dorothea Lange (photographer)
                   Dorothy Parker (writer)
       Nicknames:  Dodo, Dodie, Dody, Doll, Dollie, Dolly, Dot, Dottie, Dotty
      Variations:  Diorbhail (Gaelic), Dora, Dordi (Norwegian), Doreen,
                   Dorelia, Dorika (Hungarian), Dorila, Dorina, Dorle,
                   Dorlisa (German), Dorolice (German), Dorota (Polish),
                   Dorotea (Italian, Spanish, and Swedish), Doroteya
                   (Russian), Dorotez, Dorothee (French), Doroty (Scottish),
                   Dorte (Norwegian), Dorthy, Dosya (Russian), Teodory
                   (Polish)

Dorothee (see Dorothea)

Doroty (see Dorothea)

Dorrie (see Dora, Doris)

Dorris (see Doris)

Dorry (see Doris)

Dorte (see Dorothea)

Dorthy (see Dorothea)

Dory (see Dora)

Dosia (see Theodora)

Dosya (see Dorothea)

Dot (see Dorothea)

Dottie, Dotty (see Dorothea)

Dru (see Drusilla)

Drucie (see Drusilla)

Drucilla (see Drusilla)

Drusie (see Drusilla)

Drusilla           Latin Drusus, a Roman family name.  This name is associated
                   with strength.
        Nickname:  Dru
      Variations:  Drucilla, Drusie, Drucie

Duci (see Edith)

Duena              Spanish "chaperone."

Dulce (see Dulci)

Dulci              Latin "sweet."  Although Don Quixote's love was named
                   Aldonza, he decided to call her Dulcinea.
      Variations:  Dilsey, Dulcia, Dulce, Dulcy

Dulcia (see Dulci)

Dulcy (see Dulci)

Dyan               Variation of Diana.
     Famous name:  Dyan Cannon (actress)

Dyanne (see Diana)