Daphne is a feminine given name of Greek origin meaning laurel. It originates from Greek mythology, where Daphne ( Greek: Δάφνη) was a

naiad In Greek mythology, the naiads (; grc-gre, ναϊάδες, naïádes) are a type of female spirit, or nymph, presiding over fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of fresh water. They are distinct from river gods, who ...

, a variety of female nymph associated with fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of freshwater. The name came into popular use in the

Anglosphere The Anglosphere is a group of English-speaking world, English-speaking nations that share historical and cultural ties with England, and which today maintain close political, diplomatic and military co-operation. While the nations included in d ...

in the late 1800s along with other flower, tree, and plant names that were in vogue at the time. In recent years, the name has increased in popularity due to a character on the streaming television series '' Bridgerton''.

Usage

Daphne has been among the one thousand most used names for girls in the United States most years since 1889. It has also been well-used in recent years in the United Kingdom, Quebec, Canada, France, and the Netherlands.

Notable persons

* Daphne (born 1989), Cameroonian singer *Daphné, French singer *

Daphne Arden Daphne Arden (married name Slater; born 29 December 1941) is a British athlete who competed mainly in the 100 metres. Personal life Daphne Arden was born in Birkenhead. She was educated at Moseley Secondary Modern School in Birmingham. Athl ...

(born 1941) * Daphne Ashbrook (born 1963), American actress * Daphne Barak-Erez (born 1965), Israeli law professor *

Daphne Bavelier Daphné Bavelier is a French cognitive neuroscientist specialized in brain plasticity and learning. She is full Professor at the University of Geneva in the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences. She heads the Brain and Learning lab at C ...

Daphne Berdahl Daphne Berdahl (June 14, 1964 – October 5, 2007) was an anthropologist known for her work on Eastern Germany and Post-socialist Europe. Her work on gender and consumption as well as her writing on post-communist nostalgia has been widely cite ...

(1964–2007) * Dafni Bokota (born 1960), Greek singer and TV presenter *

Daphne Brooker Daphne Elizabeth Brooker (née Beacon, 8 June 1927 – 2 February 2012) was a British model, costume designer, and a professor and head of fashion at Kingston University for three decades, where she had "a leading role in the teaching of fashion" ...

(1927–2012), British model, costume designer, and fashion professor *

Daphne Brooks Daphne Brooks (born 1968) is William R. Kenan, Jr. professor of African American studies, American Studies, Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Music at Yale University; she is also director of graduate studies. She specializes in African ...

(born 1968) *

Daphne Brown Daphne Elizabeth Brown (1948–2011) was an American architect who was posthumously inducted into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame and awarded the Kumin Award from the American Institute of Architects, the highest recognition for architectural ach ...

(1948–2011) * Daphne Campbell (born 1957) * Daphne Caruana Galizia (1964–2017), Maltese journalist and blogger * Daphne Ceeney (1934–2016) * Daphné Collignon (born 1977), French comic book author *

Daphne Courtney Daphne R. Courtenay-Hicks (born 28 June 1916), better known as Daphne Courtney, is a South African actress, who performed in B-movie British "quota quickies" during the 1930s and 1940s. She had a supporting role in at least one French film, '' ...

(born 1917) * Dafna Dekel (born 1966), Israeli singer, actress and television personality * Daphne du Maurier (1907–1989), English writer * Daphne Gail Fautin * Daphne Fielding (1904–1997), English socialite and writer *

Daphne Fitzpatrick Daphne Fitzpatrick (born 1964) is an artist based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Fitzpatrick was born in Long Island. Their work encompasses sculpture, video, photography and a variety of found objects and images. They reference the idea of a modern ...

(born 1964) * Daphne Foskett (1911–1998), English art connoisseur and art writer *

Daphne Fowler Daphne Fowler (''née'' Bradshaw, previously Hudson; born 5 January 1939) is a British game show champion who has taken part in many televised game shows. She has won many titles, including winning ''Fifteen to One'' (twice), ''Going for Gold'' ...

(born 1939), English game show champion *

Daphne Gautschi Daphne Gautschi (born 09 July 2000) is a Swiss handball player for Neckarsulmer SU and the Swiss national team. Gautschi has a two-year deal at German Bundesliga club Neckarsulmer SU Neckarsulmer SU is a German sports club from the town of N ...

(born 2000), Swiss handball player *

Daphne Gottlieb Daphne Gottlieb is a San Francisco-based performance poet. She is the winner of the Acker Award for Excellence in the Avant-Garde, the Audre Lorde Award for Poetry, the Firecracker Alternative Book Award, and a five-time finalist for the Lambda L ...

(born 1968) * Daphne Guinness (born 1967), Irish artist and socialite *

Daphne Lorraine Gum Daphne Lorraine Gum MBE, OA (24 January 1916 – 28 February 2017) was an Australian pioneer in the care and education of children with cerebral palsy. Early life and education Daphne Lorraine Gum was born to Cecil and Ruby Gum on 24 Janu ...

(1916–2017) *

Daphne Haldin Daphne Haldin (* 10 February 1899 in Norwich; † 1973 in Hampstead) was a British art historian and honourable secretary of the Society of Jews and Christians. Born on 10 February 1899 in Norwich to Alfred and Edith Haldinstein, she was one of se ...

(1899–1973) * Daphne Hampson (born 1944), British theologian *

Daphne Hardy Henrion Daphne Hardy Henrion (20 October 1917 – 31 October 2003) was a British sculptor, a member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors and an intimate of the writer Arthur Koestler. Life She was born Daphne Hardy in 1917 in Amersham, Buckingha ...

(1917–2003) * Daphne Hasenjäger (born 1929) *

Daphne Heard Delia Phyllis Daphne Heard (21 August 1904 – 22 June 1983) was an English actress and acting teacher. She was born in Plymouth, Devon. She appeared in numerous made-for-TV movies and TV series. But was perhaps best known in latter years a ...

(1904–1983) *

Daphne Iking Daphne Eleanor M Iking (born Daphne M Iking), known as Daphne Iking, is a Malaysian television personality, an emcee and an occasional actress. Early life Daphne was born in Keningau, Sabah, Malaysia to a former nurse, Naili Juliah Ganahong (b ...

(born 1978) * Daphne Jackson (1938–1991) *

Daphne Jennings Daphne G. Jennings (born 26 January 1939 in North Vancouver, British Columbia) was a Canadian teacher and member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1993 to 1997. She was elected as a Reform party candidate at the Mission—Coquitlam electo ...

(born 1939) *

Daphne Jongejans Daphne Cérès Jongejans (born 22 June 1965 in Badhoevedorp, North Holland) is a retired female diver from the Netherlands, who represented her native country at three consecutive Summer Olympics: 1984, 1988 and 1992. Background Jongejans' bes ...

(born 1965) * Daphne Jordan, American politician * Daphne Khoo (born 1987) *

Daphni Leef Daphni Leef ( he, דפני ליף; born 7 January 1986) is an Israeli social activist, video artist, and editor. In July 2011 she initiated the 2011 Israeli Social Justice Protest that took place in Tel Aviv and were the largest social protests i ...

(born 1986), Israeli social activist * Daphne Matziaraki, Greek director, writer and producer * Daphne Mayo (1895–1982) *

Daphne Merkin Daphne Miriam Merkin (born in New York City) is an American literary critic, essayist and novelist. Merkin is a graduate of Barnard College and also attended Columbia University's graduate program in English literature. She began her career as ...

(born 1954), American writer *

Daphne Odjig Daphne Odjig, D.Litt LL. D. (September 11, 1919 – October 1, 2016), was a Canadian First Nations artist of Odawa-Potawatomi-English heritage. Her paintings are often characterized as Woodlands Style or as the pictographic style. She was the ...

(1919–2016) *

Daphne Olivier Daphne Olivier (October 1889 – 14 July 1950) was the third daughter of the British politician Sydney Olivier, 1st Baron Olivier, and Margaret Cox. She was the sister of Margery (1886–1974), Brynhild (1887–1935) and Noël (1893–1969), a ...

(1889–1950) * Daphne Park (1921–2010), British diplomat and spy * Daphne Patai (born 1943), American educator *

Daphne Pearson Joan Daphne Mary Pearson, (25 May 1911 – 25 July 2000) was a Women's Auxiliary Air Force officer during the Second World War and one of only thirteen women recipients of the George Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry not in the face ...

(1911–2000) *

Daphne Phelps Daphne Phelps (23 June 191130 November 2005) was a British writer who spent most of her life in Taormina, Sicily. Life Phelps attended St Felix School, Southwold, Suffolk, and trained in psychiatric social work at St Anne's College, Oxford, and ...

(1911–2005) *

Daphne Pochin Mould Dr Daphne Desiree Charlotte Pochin Mould (15 November 1920 – 29 April 2014) was a photographer, broadcaster, geologist, traveller, pilot and Ireland's first female flight instructor. She had a strong interest in archaeology and took thousands ...

(1920–2014) * Daphne Pollard (1892–1978) * Daphne Reynolds (1918–2002), English painter and printmaker *

Daphne Robinson Daphne Maureen May Robinson (; 16 February 1932 – 7 February 2008) was a New Zealand cricketer who played as a right-arm medium bowler and left-handed batter. She appeared in one Test match for New Zealand in 1961. She played domestic crick ...

(1932–2008) *

Daphne Sheldrick Dame Daphne Marjorie Sheldrick, (née Jenkins; 4 June 1934 – 12 April 2018) was a Kenyan of British descent, author, conservationist and expert in animal husbandry, particularly the raising and reintegrating of orphaned elephants into the w ...

, DBE (1934 – 2018), founder of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. *

Daphne Spain Daphne Spain is an American academic who studies urban and environmental planning. She is the James M. Page Professor in the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning at the University of Virginia. Spain received her B.A. in sociology from th ...

* Daphne Todd (born 1947) *

Daphne Touw Daphne Touw (born 13 January 1970 in Teteringen, North Brabant) is a former field hockey goalkeeper from the Netherlands, who played 68 international matches for the Dutch National Women's Team. She made her debut on 3 July 1993 against Germ ...

(born 1970) * Daphne Trimble (born 1953) * Daphne Wayans (born 1971) *

Daphne Willis Daphne Willis is a singer and songwriter residing in Los Angeles, California. __TOC__ Early life Willis was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1987. Willis grew up in a musical family. Her mother studied classical vocal performance at the Universit ...

(born 1987) *

Daphne Woodward Daphne Woodward was a translator of French literature into the English language. In particular, she was responsible for translating eight books in the Inspector Maigret series by the Belgian detective writer Georges Simenon. These were commiss ...

, French-English translator * Daphne Zuniga (born 1962), American actress

Fictional characters

* Daphne Blake, a character in the television cartoon series ''Scooby-Doo'' *Daphne Sullivan, a character in The White Lotus *Daphne Broon, a character in the Scottish cartoon strip '' The Broons'' * Daphne Clarke, from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' *Daphne Greengrass, a character in the ''

Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...

'' series *

Daphne Hatzilakos '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore. The series is now considered the first incarnation and premiered on CTV on October 14, 2001, and then ended on MTV Canada and ...

, a character in the Canadian television series ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' * Daphne Millbrook, a character in the television series ''Heroes'' * Daphne Moon, a character in the television show ''Frasier'' *Daphne Millicent Turner, the Malory Towers books * Princess Daphne (character), a character in the video game ''Dragon's Lair'' *Princess Daphne the nymph, a character in the Italian cartoon series ''

Winx Club ''Winx Club'' is an animated series co-produced by Rainbow S.p.A., Rainbow SpA and later Nickelodeon. It was created by Italian animator Iginio Straffi. The show is set in a magical universe that is inhabited by fairies, witches, and other myth ...

'' *Daphne Grimm, a character from '' The Sisters Grimm'' book series *Daphne Vasquez, a character in the television show '' Switched at Birth'' *Daphne Reynolds, main character from the film '' What a Girl Wants'' *The Groovy Girls doll line, by Manhattan Toy, features a doll named Daphne *Daphne Bridgerton. A character from the Netflix series '' Bridgerton'' *Daphne Minton, a character from the web series and series 3 doll line of Rainbow High.

Usage

Notable persons

Fictional characters

Notes

See also