A 1970s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Demian since 1966
Babies named Demian per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2007, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Demian's real moment was 1974.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 63 |
| 1970s | 520 |
| 1980s | 69 |
| 1990s | 91 |
| 2000s | 471 |
| 2010s | 564 |
| 2020s | 327 |
Meaning & origin
Demian entered U.S. birth records in 1966, a legacy of Hermann Hesse's 1919 novel 'Demian', which found a new audience among American college students in the 1960s. The name reached its peak rank of 2480 in 1974, with about 1 in 31,631 boys receiving the name that year. After a decline, it has been climbing again since 1987, reflecting a steady if niche literary revival. Its top states include Illinois, Texas, and California, suggesting a scattered but consistent urban appeal. As a variant of Damian, Demian carries the ancient Greek root meaning 'to tame', but its primary identity today is as a mid-20th-century bookish classic, especially favored by parents drawn to European literary names.
Demian is primarily known as the title and protagonist of Hermann Hesse's 1919 novel 'Demian'. The name itself is a German variant of Damian, derived from the Greek name Damianos, which comes from 'damazo' meaning 'to tame'. Hesse's novel brought the name to literary prominence, particularly in German-speaking countries and among English readers in the 20th century.
Where Demian is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state, 2025. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Demian” around the world
Where Demian lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Dem, Demy
Sibling names for Demian
Names that share Demian's style, for a brother or sister.
