Given name
Despina
Despina is a feminine given name from Ancient Greek. It is used in Italian.
Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
The story
In mythological stories, Despina is associated with the daughter of Demeter and Poseidon.
Despina through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,523
- 0 boys · 1,523 girls
- Most popular year
- 1976
- 36 babies
- 2025
- 5
- #15,508 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −7%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 5 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 15,508 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 6.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 36 in 1976. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,911 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Despina’s family of names
Despina has a related form in Despeana. Despina has a related form in Despeena. Despina has a related form in Despeina.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Despenavariant
- Despeanavariant
- Despeenavariant
- Despienavariant
- Despeinavariant
- Desponavariant
- Despynavariant
- Despinnavariant
Show 1 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 8
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Despina
- Despina VandiGreek singer and musicianborn 1969
- Despina OlympiouCypriot singerborn 1975
- Despina Achladiotousole resident of Ro island, Greece, 1893-1982
- Despina GeorgiadouGreek fencerborn 1991
- Despina StorchOttoman spy for Germany1895–1918
- Despina Stratigakosarchitectural historian, writer, and professorborn 1963
- Despoina ChatzinikolaouGreek association football playerborn 1999
- Despina Chatzivassiliou-TsovilisGreek government secretaryborn 1967
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Despina, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Eurydice
Eurydice is a feminine given name from Latin, ultimately from Ancient Greek. It is used in English and Latin.
>99% girls
Corinna
“a spear-wielding woman”
>99% girls
Mania
Mania is used as a given name and a surname. Mania is connected with Maria.
>99% girls
Dea
“resembling a goddess”
>99% girls
Phaedra
Phaedra is a feminine given name from Latin, ultimately from Ancient Greek.
>99% girls
Uranus
Uranus is a given name from Ancient Greek. It is used in Albanian.
>99% girls
Demitra
>99% girls
Cassandra
“an unheeded prophetess”
>99% girls