Defne
Feminine · “laurel”
Defne is the Turkish word for the laurel tree, and the Greek myth behind it is about a woman turned into that tree to escape a god.
How old is the name Defne?
Defne first appears in US birth records in 1993 — 32 years ago. The typical Defne is a kid of about 9 — this name's wave is very recent. About 700 people named Defne are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Defne most popular?
Defne peaked in 2017, reaching #3145 nationally. Today it ranks #4265, 1,120 places below that high. See the whole 2017 chart.
Where it comes from
From daphne to Defne
The story of Defne
Ovid tells the story: Daphne, pursued by Apollo, prays to be delivered and is turned into a laurel, and Apollo takes the tree as his own — which is a bleak resolution that later readers have found harder than Ovid seems to. The laurel became the wreath for victors and poets, so a poet laureate wears her. Defne is a very well used Turkish women's name and reaches American records with Turkish families.
Meaning
laurel, bay tree
From Greek daphne, the laurel, borrowed into Turkish as defne; the tree is the source of the victor's wreath and of the bay leaf. Daphne in the myth becomes the tree to escape Apollo, who then takes it as his emblem.
How the name formed
- daphne
- defne
Related forms: Defne · Daphne · Daphne
Pronouncing Defne
DEF-neh
Two syllables, first stressed; the final e is fully sounded in Turkish.
Nicknames for Defne
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1993
- Most girls named
- 201751 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #3145reached in 2017
- Change vs 2024
- 0.0%33 in 2025, from 33
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Defne in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Defne in Turkish — same name
- Daphne in Greek — same name
- Daphne in English — same name
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, New York.
Defnes among us
people named Defne are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 48,705 born in 2025 was named Defne
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Slyvia test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Defne's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Slyvia climbed just as high around 1939, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Slyvia's path sketches the road Defne is walking now.
Defne sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Defne is headed
Defne should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Defne beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Defne in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- A settled meaning tied to a real tree with an enormous symbolic history.
- Five letters and two syllables, quick to write.
- Very widely used in Turkey, so it has a large community behind it.
- English speakers will swallow the final e, which Turkish sounds fully.
- The myth behind it is about a woman fleeing an assault, which some find hard.
- It is entirely unfamiliar outside Turkish communities in America.
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What they receive
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Defne
Feminine · #4265 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Defnes are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 700 people named Defne are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Defne in 2025?
- Defne ranks #4265 among US girl names in 2025, with 33 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Defne?
- About 1 in every 48,705 US girls born in 2025 was named Defne — 33 in all.
- Will my child share the name Defne with classmates?
- Defne will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Defne
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Hyacinth#4265 · Halina#4265 · Michal#4265 · Sadia#4265 · Zahava#4265 · Maiah#4265 · Daysi#4265 · Corrie#4265
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Defne? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Defne and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
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Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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