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pronunciation. The similar-looking Dearbhail, which can be anglicised Derval or Dervilia, meaning ‘daughter of Fal’ (a figure in Irish legend), is also popular at the moment in Ireland.

      Deryk see Derek

      Des, Desi see Desmond

      DeShawn see DeAndre

      Désirée f.

      A French name meaning ‘desired’. It has been in use since the beginning of the Christian era in the Latin form Desideria, originally for a long-awaited, much-desired child. The French boy’s name Didier, ‘longing’, shortened to Didi, would be the male equivalent.

      Desmond m.

      From the Irish Deas-Mumhain, meaning ‘(man) of Desmond’, an old name for Munster. It was originally used as a surname in Ireland. Later it became a first name, and came to England in the late 19th century. Des and Desi, Desy or Dezi are short forms.

      Destiny f.

      This vocabulary word has recently become popular as a girl’s name in the USA.

      Detta see Bernadette

      Dev m.

      An Indian name from the Sanskrit meaning ‘god’. Deva is also the term used to address royalty, Brahmins and priests. Dev becomes Deb or Deo in different parts of India. Devdan means ‘gift of the gods’. The forms Debdan and Deodan are also used.

      Devnet f.

      This is the anglicised spelling of the Irish name Damhnait, the name of an early Irish martyr meaning ‘fawn, little deer’. An older form is Dymp(h)na.

      Devon f. and m.

      This name appears to be the name of the English county, but American parents usually stress it on the second syllable. Its use was probably suggested when ‘De-’ became a fashionable prefix for names among Afro-American families, as in DEANDRE. The alternative spelling Devin is frequent and forms such as DaVon are also found.

      DeWayne see DeAndre, Duane

      Dexter m.

      This is a surname, originally given to a dyer, now used as a first name.

      Dezi see Desmond

      Dhanishta f.

      An Indian name that derives from the Sanskrit for ‘star’.

      Di see Diana

      Diamond see Ruby

      Diana f.

      The Latin name of the Roman goddess, equivalent to the Greek, Artemis. She was associated with the moon and virginity. She was also the goddess of hunting and protector of wild animals. Its use as a first name dates from the Renaissance, when the French form Diane is also first found. Di is the commonest short form, as seen in the popular nickname for the late Princess of Wales. Despite her immense popularity the name is not widely used, although it was given to rather more babies than usual in the months following her death in 1997. The actress Deanna Durbin introduced a different form of the name, and the form Deanne is also found, while Diane has developed forms such as Dianne and Dyan(ne). DINAH is a separate name.

      Diarm(a)id, Diarm(a)it see Dermot

      Dick, Dickie, Dickon see Richard

      Didi, Didier see Desirée

      Dido f.

      Dido, possibly meaning ‘maiden’, was the name of the wise and cunnning Queen of Carthage, who, in Roman myth, fell in love with the wandering AENEUS. When he left to found the Roman nation on the orders of the gods, she killed herself in despair. The singer who has made the name famous in modern times was born Florian Cloud De Bounevialle, but was given Dido as a family nickname when small.

      Diego m.

      This popular Spanish name is well used in the USA. It is a form of JAMES, through the intermediary forms Tiego and Tiago, from Sant Iago, ‘Saint James’.

      Digby m.

      A place and surname, meaning ‘the settlement by the dike’, used as a first name.

      Dilip m.

      The name of several kings in the Hindu epics. It probably comes from the Sanskrit words meaning ‘protecting Delhi’. An alternative form of the name is Duleep.

      Dilys f.

      From the Welsh, meaning ‘perfect, genuine’. The name became current in Wales in the 19th century, and is now no longer confined to Wales. Dilly is a short form.

      Dimitri see Demetrius

      Dinah f.

      From the Hebrew, meaning ‘lawsuit’ or ‘judged’. It was the name of one of Jacob’s daughters in the Old Testament. It came into use in the 17th century and was a favourite name in the 19th century, when it was often confused with DIANA. Nowadays it is often spelt Dina.

      Dinsdale m.

      A place and surname used as a first name. It means ‘settlement surrounded by a moat’.

      Dion, Dione, Dionne, Dionysos see Denis

      Dipak see Deepak

      Dirk see Derek

      Divya f.

      An Indian name from the Sanskrit for ‘divine lustre’.

      Djamila see Jamila

      Dmitri see Demetrius

      Dodie, Dodo, Doll, Dolly see Dorothy

      Doireann see Doreen

      Dolores f.

      This name was originally a short form of the Spanish Maria de los Dolores, or ‘Mary of the Sorrows’, after the feast of the ‘Seven Sorrows of Our Lady’. Spain uses other names from titles of the Virgin: Mercedes (Our Lady of the Mercies) and Montserrat, from Our Lady of Montserrat, a famous monastery. Dolores became popular in North America about 1930. Pet forms are LOLA, Lolita and Lo.

      Domhnall see Daniel, Donald

      Dominic m., Dominique f.

      From the Latin dominicus meaning ‘of the Lord’. It probably became more widespread on account of St Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers known as the Black Friars early in the 13th century. Until this century it was almost exclusively a Roman Catholic name, but is now widely used. Dominick is also found, and the name can be shortened to Dom and Nic. Dominique, from the French, is now the most popular form for girls, although Dominica, the original Latin feminine form, is sometimes used.

      Donald m.

      From the Irish Domhnall or Donal(l) (the second reflecting the pronunciation, with a long ‘o’ as in ‘doe’) meaning ‘world mighty’. It was the name of a number of medieval Irish kings. The name became Donald in Gaelic. Common short forms are Don and Donny. Various forms of the name were coined in the Highlands to turn Donald into a girl’s name, of which Donalda and Donella have been the commonest.

      Donata f.

      This name is far more often used than its male equivalent, Donatus or Donat, both Latin for ‘given [by God]’. The Old French equivalent was Dieudonné(e), which is still very occasionally found.

      Donella see Donald

      Donna f.

      This is the Italian word for ‘lady’. It became popular as a first name in the 20th century, particularly in North America. Madonna, ‘My Lady’, used of the Virgin Mary, in use in the USA by the 1930s, comes from the same word.

      Donnchadh see Denis, Duncan

      Donny see Donald

      Donovan m.

      An Irish surname, meaning ‘dark brown’, used as a first name. It gained publicity as the name of a popular singer from the 1960s.

      Donte m.

      The Italian name Durrante, meaning ‘steadfast’, developed the

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