Daimhin: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Daimhin is an Irish name for girls and boys meaning “little stag.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Irish spelling
- Daimhín
- Meaning
- Little stag
- Gender
- Girl or boy
- English forms
- Davin
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 829 for boys (2025)
How do you pronounce Daimhin?
Daimhin is pronounced DAW-veen. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Daimhin mean?
Daimhín is an old Irish name, a diminutive of damh, which in Old Irish meant “ox” or “stag.” The usual gloss “little deer” is close, but “little stag” is more exact. Its early form was Daimíne: medieval genealogies name a Daimíne, son of the Airgíalla king Cairpre Daim Argait, as the ancestor of the Síl nDaimíne.
Historically it was a man’s name. It survives in the surname Ó Daimhín, “descendant of Daimhín,” borne by a family of the same stock as the Maguires who were chiefs of Tirkennedy in Co. Fermanagh; in English it became Devine in Ulster and Davin in Munster and Connacht. Davina, sometimes listed with it, is a separate name, a Scottish feminine form of David.
Sources: Ó Dónaill's Irish dictionary (teanglann.ie), eDIL, the Dictionary of the Irish Language, Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923), Wikipedia, CELT, University College Cork, nordicnames.de, Behind the Name.
How popular is Daimhin in Ireland?
In 2025, 3 baby boys in Ireland were named Daimhín, which made it No. 829 that year. It was most popular in 2016, when 4 baby boys were named Daimhin, No. 601 that year. It's given to girls too: 3 baby girls were named Daimhin in 2017, No. 873 for girls. It first appears in the records in 2011, with 4 baby boys.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | No. 829 (Daimhín) |
| 2019 | 3 | No. 764 (Daimhín) |
| 2016 | 4 | No. 601 (Daimhin) |
| 2011 | 4 | No. 623 (Daimhin) |
Daimhin in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Daimhin, letter by letter.
- DDair, oak
- AAilm, pine
- IIodhadh, yew
- MMuin, vine
- HUath, hawthorn
- IIodhadh, yew
- NNion, ash
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Daimhin
Questions about Daimhin
- How do you pronounce Daimhin?
- Daimhin is pronounced DAW-veen. Two syllables, stress on the first.
- What does Daimhin mean?
- Daimhin means “little stag.”
- Is Daimhin a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Daimhin is used for both girls and boys. In Ireland today, most babies given the name are boys.
- How do you spell Daimhin in Irish?
- In Irish it's spelled Daimhín. That's the spelling most parents in Ireland now register, according to the Central Statistics Office.
- What is Daimhin in English?
- The English form of Daimhin is Davin.
- How popular is Daimhin in Ireland?
- In 2025, Daimhín was No. 829 for boys in Ireland, with 3 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 2016, at No. 601.