Origin: various
(Eng. DARE-ee-en; Slov/Bul. DAR-yahn)
Darian is of several different origins and meanings.
The most solid source is that is an Eastern Slavic form of Darij (Darius) or based on the Slavic element, dar (gift).
Its use in the English-speaking world is far more convoluted.
Many sources believe this name is just an elaborate form of Darren, which itself is a name of uncertain origins. Sources indicate this name has been in use since at least the 16th-century in England. Variations that appear in 16th-century records include Darens and Doran in Cornwall. The latter may be from the Cornish element, dor (ground, earth), however, it is unknown if Darian is linked with Doran. The earliest use of Darian as a given name is from Spain (circ. 1572).
Darin appears a few times in 16th-century German and Swiss records. Darin is a another South Slavic name that shares the same element as Darian, but it is doubtful that this is the same source that appears in German and Swiss records. In what is now Croatia, Darian appears in records as early as the 17th-century.
Its feminine form of Dariana is used in all South Slavic countries and Romania and has also been in occasional use among English-speakers of non-Eastern European roots. Dariana appeared in the U.S. Top 1000 Female Names one time in 2000, ranking in as the 837th most popular female name.
In the U.S., Darian has also been in occasional use as a female name. It even appeared in the U.S. Top 1000 Female Names between 1992 and 2002 and peaked at #313 in 1994. For males, the name has been in the U.S. Top 1000 since 1965. Darian currently ranks in as the 846th most popular male name. It peaked at #358 in 1994.
Another English form of Darian is Darien.
Sources
- http://www.cornishdictionary.org.uk
- https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darian_(ime)
- https://www.beliebte-vornamen.de
- https://www.behindthename.com
- https://www.ssa.gov
- https://www.familysearch.org