Given name & surname
Demetrius
“a follower of the goddess Demeter”
Demetrius is used as a given name and a surname. One Greek interpretation is “a follower of the goddess Demeter.”
Original GreekΔημήτρης
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Greek interpretation is “a follower of the goddess Demeter.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
How it developed
In English usage, Demetrius developed from Δημήτριος.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1912. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Demetrius appears in Acts 19:24, Acts 19:38.
- Acts 19:24
- Acts 19:38
From biblical name research
Demetrius through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 37,791
- 36,064 boys · 1,727 girls
- Most popular year
- 1991
- 1,079 babies
- 2025
- 164
- #1,229 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −26%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 100% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 164 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,229 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 25.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,052 in 1991. In 2025, Florida and Georgia and Michigan shared the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (13 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 26,043 as a first name in 2020; 462 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Demetrius’s family of names
In English usage, Demetrius shares an earlier linguistic root with Dmitry. In German usage, Demetrius has a conventional equivalent in the French form Dimitri. Demetrius has a related form in Dimitri.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Demetrius has relatives in 37 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
Ancient Greekwhere Demetrius comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 23
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 68
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Δημήτριοςroot · Ancient Greek, Greek
- ΔημήτρηςGreek
- DemetriosFinnish
- Dmitriyequivalent
- Dmytrodoublet · English
- Demetreequivalent
- Dimitarequivalent
- Dimitrisdoublet · English
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- DemeterTurkish, Slovak
- DimitrieSerbo-Croatian
- DemisRomanian
- DimitrijeHungarian, Romanian
- Demetrijusequivalent
- Димитрииequivalent
- Митроequivalent
- Димитарequivalent
- Димитърequivalent
- ДмитрийRussian
- ДимитрийRussian
- Дмитроborrowing · Ukrainian
- Дзмітрыйcognate · Belarusian
- DemetriuszPolish
- Démétriusborrowing · French
- Dmitrijscognate · Latvian
- Дмитро́Ukrainian
- ดมิตรีThai
- DmitarSerbo-Croatian
- ДмитарSerbo-Croatian
- ДимитриеSerbo-Croatian, Bulgarian
- Дми́трийRussian
- ДумитруRomanian
- DumitruRomanian
- DemétrioPortuguese
- DymitrPolish
- دمیتریPersian
- Митришmhr
- Метрийmhr
- Мичуmhr
- DēmētriusLatin
- 드미트리Korean
- ドミトリーJapanese
- DömötörHungarian
- דמיטריHebrew
- დიმიტრიGeorgian
- დემეტრეGeorgian
- DémétriosFrench
- Минькоmyv
- Митрейmyv
- Митяйmyv
- Мӗтриcv
- 德米特里Mandarin
- ᏗꮋꮯꮿCherokee
- Дими́търBulgarian
- DźmitryBelarusian
- ZmicierBelarusian
- DzmitryjBelarusian
- Зьмі́церBelarusian
- Дзьмі́трыBelarusian
- Змі́церBelarusian
- Дзмі́трыйBelarusian
And 8 more.
People named Demetrius
- Demetrius ZvonimirKing of Croatia from 8 October 1076 until his death
- Demetrius II of GeorgiaKing of Georgia (1259-1289)
- Demetrius I of GeorgiaKing of Kings of Georgia from 1125 to 11561093–1156
- Demetrius of Montferratking of Thessalonica1205–1230
- Demetrius PinderBahamian sprinterborn 1989
- Demetrius GrosseAmerican actorborn 1981
- Demetrius AndradeAmerican boxerborn 1988
- Demetrius Shipp Jr.American actorborn 1988
- Demetrius JacksonAmerican basketball player (born 1994)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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