Diana: Meaning, Popularity, Origin of Baby Name Diana | Girls
Origin of the name Diana:
Derived from the Latin Diviana, which is from divus (divine). The name is borne in Roman mythology by the virgin goddess of the moon and of hunting.
From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman. Buy the book
Looking for more name information? Get Name MatchMaker & more Expert name-finding tools!
NameVoyager
US Popularity of Diana Over Time
Sister & Brother Names
Know a Diana? What are her siblings named?
Contribute your knowledge to the name Diana
- Comments and insights on the name Diana: | Edit
Diana seems to be rising again. I know 2 Dianas who are about age 14 or so. Both happen to be Asian, if that matters.
Diana is such an international name. It travels well and would be an excellent choice for parents of mixed cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Diana is spelled the same in English; Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan and Romanian; Hungarian; German and Dutch.
However, in most (all?) of these languages the i pronounced "ee" rather than "eye" as in English, and the a as "ah" (as in "father," rather than the hard a of "apple"), so be prepared to encounter and perhaps use both versions. If you choose to pronounce Diana the internationally standard way, English speakers will probably assume you are spelling it Deanna, Deeonna or something similar. So - cross-culturally flexible, yes, but only if you don't mind either correcting people a lot (on spelling and/or pronunciation) or using multiple versions interchangeably.
An alternate pronunciation for Diana (for Spanish speakers) would be di-AH-nah
Diana has a lot of the appeal of Emily: feminine but not too frilly, simple but elegant, three smooth syllables packed into a sleek, straightforward five-letter spelling. With ends-in-a girls' names so prevalent, Diana sounds less dated than Diane, and while the late Princess of Wales and the goddess association lend the name some glamor, it's enough of a familiar classic to fit a tomboy, a bookish kid, a professional adult of any stripe.
I knew a young girl named Diana. She pronounced it D-yah-na. In my opinion, this pronunciation is nicer.
- Personal experiences with the name Diana: | Edit
My name is Diana and I love the name. It has a great reputation all around. If you should ever come across this name consider Diana as one of your choices.
My best friend's name is Diana. She spells it with an H at the end. The boys at school used to bow down to her!
My best friend's name is Diana, too. I love the name and it fits her perfectly, but she hates it.
- Nicknames for Diana: | Edit
Di
D
Ana
Dia- Meanings and history of the name Diana: | Edit
Diana was the Roman goddess of the moon, corresponding to the Greek goddess Artemis. She was also known by the names Cynthia, Phoebe, and Selene.
- Famous real-life people named Diana: | Edit
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana Ross, singer
Diana Rigg, actress
Diana Dors, actress
Diana Krall, singer
Diana Gabaldon, author of the "Outlander" series
Diana Vreeland, editrix of Vogue
Diana Agron, most famous for being on the TV series 'Glee' and in the movie 'I am number 4'- Diana in song, story & screen: | Edit
Diana Barry, best friend of Anne in the "Anne of Green Gables" series by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Diana (mythology), ancient Roman goddess of the moon, the hunt, and chastity
"Diana" (Bryan Adams song)
"Diana", a song by The Misfits
"Diana" (song), by Paul Anka, was a No. 1 single in 1957
"Diana", a single by Comus taken from their 1971 album First Utterance
"Dirty Diana", a popular song by Michael Jackson
Diana (album), a 1980 Chic-produced album by Diana Ross
Diana Prince, Wonder Woman's secret identity (DC Comics)
Smart?
Sexy?
Friendly?
Creative?
Strong?
Young?
Sophisticated?
Name Lists Featuring Diana
- Spanish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Spain
- Ukranian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Ukraine
- Armenian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Armenia
- Swiss Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Switzerland (Italian)
- Hungarian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Hungary
Global Popularity of the Name Diana
- #5 in Ukraine
- #22 in Armenia
- #83 in Hungary
- #86 in Spain
- #137 in United States
- #399 in Norway
