NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Damon

Of Greek origin, meaning "to subdue" or "to tame".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Damon is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Damon popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1000, with 30 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 136 births.

This profile covers 1,343 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 22% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,575 living people in the UK are called Damon. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Damon ranked #1000 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 30 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 136 boys were registered as Damon.
  • Damon ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #277 in 1999.
  • About 1,575 living people in the UK are estimated to have Damon as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1000

2024

Births in 2024

30

Latest year

Peak year

1996

136 births

Estimated living

1,575

2026

Meaning

What does Damon mean?

The name Damon has its origins in ancient Greek culture and language. It is derived from the Greek word "damas" which means "to tame" or "subdue." The name is believed to have been used as early as the 5th century BC in ancient Greece.

In Greek mythology, Damon was a figure known for his unwavering loyalty and friendship. He was the close friend of Pythias, and their legendary bond became a symbol of true friendship. The story of Damon and Pythias, in which Damon offers to be executed in place of his friend, exemplifies the virtues associated with the name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Damon can be found in the works of the ancient Greek philosopher and playwright, Plato. In his dialogues, Plato mentions a character named Damon who was a renowned music theorist and philosopher.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Damon. In the 4th century BC, Damon of Athens was a renowned Pythagorean philosopher and mathematician. Another Damon, who lived in the 3rd century BC, was a Greek historian and logographer from Cyrene.

In more recent times, the name Damon has been carried by famous individuals such as Damon Runyon (1880-1946), an American writer and humorist known for his short stories and the Damon Runyon Theater. Damon Albarn (born 1968) is a British musician and singer-songwriter, best known as the co-founder of the virtual band Gorillaz.

Damon Wayans (born 1960) is an American actor, comedian, and writer, famous for his work on the sketch comedy show "In Living Color" and the sitcom "My Wife and Kids." Damon Hill (born 1960) is a British former racing driver and the 1996 Formula One World Champion.

Damon Lindelof (born 1973) is an American writer and producer, best known for his work on the television series "Lost" and "The Leftovers." These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have carried the name Damon throughout history, a name that has endured for over two millennia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Damon over time

The chart below shows babies named Damon registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Damon, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 30 births in 2024, compared with 136 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Damon
03468102136199620102024

Decades

Damon by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Damon was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #925 162 5
2010s #847 375 10
2000s #621 418 10
1990s #303 388 4

Geography

Where Damon is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Damon. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Damon ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #277 in 1999.

Scotland
4
Northern Ireland
3

Across the UK

Damon in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#619 in 2024

39 years of NRS records, 244 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#277 in 1999

1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Damon

  • Damon Jones

    boxer

    British boxer

    1993-

  • Damon Lathrope

    association football player

    English footballer (born 1989)

    1989-

  • Damon Gray

    association football player

    English footballer (born 1988)

    1988-

  • Damon Sansum

    taekwondo athlete

    British taekwondo practitioner

    1987-

  • Damon Bossino

    politician; barrister

    Gibraltarian politician

    1983-

  • Damon Scott

    comedian; singer

    British singer

    1979-

  • Damon Ming

    association football player

    Bermudian footballer

    1978-

  • Damon Wischik

    data scientist

    British data scientist

    1974-

Related

Names similar to Damon

FAQ

Damon: questions and answers

How popular is the name Damon in the UK right now?

In 2024, Damon was ranked #1000 for boys in England and Wales, with 30 births registered.

When was Damon most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 136 babies registered as Damon in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Damon?

Of Greek origin, meaning "to subdue" or "to tame".

How many people are called Damon in the UK?

A total of 1,343 babies have been registered as Damon across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 244 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Damon most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Damon ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #277 in 1999. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.