What does Darius mean?
Darius comes from the Old Persian for “possessing goodness,” borne by Persian kings.
What does Bijan mean?
Bijan is a romantic hero of the Shahnameh.
Darius vs Bijan
Which is more popular?
Darius is more popular than Bijan today: about 322 US babies were given the name Darius in 2025, compared with 8 named Bijan.
| Darius | Bijan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Possessor of good | Hero of legend |
| Origin | Persian | Persian |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | DAIR-ee-us | bee-ZHAHN |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1968 |
| Peak year | 1994 (2,184) | 1991 (65) |
| In 2025 | 322 | 8 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Darius
Bijan
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Darius | Bijan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 2,338 | 30 |
| 2010s | 6,548 | 55 |
| 2000s | 12,436 | 175 |
| 1990s | 19,665 | 453 |
| 1980s | 7,177 | 258 |
| 1970s | 3,144 | 21 |
| 1960s | 1,351 | 6 |
| 1950s | 587 | 0 |
| 1940s | 252 | 0 |
| 1930s | 170 | 0 |
| 1920s | 178 | 0 |
| 1910s | 128 | 0 |
| 1890s | 10 | 0 |
| 1880s | 22 | 0 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Darius or Bijan more popular?
Darius is more popular than Bijan today: about 322 US babies were given the name Darius in 2025, compared with 8 named Bijan.
What is the difference between Darius and Bijan?
Darius means Possessor of good (Persian origin), while Bijan means Hero of legend (Persian origin).
Which name is older, Darius or Bijan?
In US records, Darius first appears in 1880 and Bijan in 1968, so Darius has the longer recorded history.