Daria or Darya is a predominantly a feminine version of the Greek name Darius. The name is derived from the Persian royal name Darayavahush, which comes from a combination of the Old Persian words daraya(miy), meaning "possess" or "maintain" and vahu, meaning "well, good."
Saint Daria of Rome is a venerated martyr of the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, which contributed to widespread adoption of the name.
Darya is also a masculine name in Central Asian countries.
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Usage
In 18th-century Russia, about 4% of women had the name Daria. By the late 19th century, the name came to be seen as rustic and became associated with traditional peasant women. In the Soviet period, the name entirely went out of fashion and by 1960 almost totally disappeared. However, subsequently the popularity rebounded and increased during the late 20th century and into the 21st, so that by 2006 it was the 3rd most popular name for girls born in Moscow and Saint Petersburg (after Maria and Anastasia). In some regions of Russia it was even the 2nd most popular name. In Romania, in 2014, Daria was the 8th most popular name for baby girls.
The common Russian diminutive form of this name is Dasha (Даша). The English form "Dolly" was used as a nickname for Darya in Leo Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina."
In Ukraine, Dasha is also used as a diminutive form, but there are multiple other forms that are used for the name Daria in Ukraine, amongst others: Odarka, Daryna, Darusia, Darochka.
Women
Daria Abramowicz (born 1987), Polish sports psychologist
Daria Atamanov (born 2005), Israeli European champion and Olympic rhythmic gymnast
Daria Bijak (born 1985), German gymnast
Daria de Pretis (born 1956), Italian judge
Daria Dmitrieva (born 1993), Russian rhythmic gymnast
Dariya Nikitichna Dobroczajeva (1916–1995), Ukrainian botanist and university teacher
Darya Domracheva (born 1986), Belarusian biathlete
Daria Dolan, American business news anchor, author and radio host
Darya Dugina (1992–2022), Russian journalist and activist
Daria Gaiazova (born 1983), Russian-Canadian cross-country skier
Daria Gamsaragan (1907–1986), Egyptian-born Armenian visual artist, writer
Daria Gavrilova (born 1994), Russian-Australian tennis player
Darya Gredzen (born 2004), Russian ice hockey player
Daria Halprin (born 1948), American psychologist, author, dancer and former actress
Daria Hazuda, American biochemist
Daria Hodder, Australian professional wrestler
Men
Darya Imad Shah, a 16th century Asian sultan
Darya Singh (born 1947), Indian equestrian
Middle name
Adrianna Daria Topolnicka (born 1999)Pages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets, Polish middle-distance runner
Fictional characters
Daria Morgendorffer, title character of the MTV animated series Daria (1997–2002)
Daria, main female character in the 1970s movie Zabriskie Point
Princess Daria from the 2002 film The Princess and the Pea