Demi
Meaning
short form of Demetria, linked to the goddess Demeter
The story
Demi began as a short form of Demetria, the feminine of the Greek Demetrios, a name meaning devoted to Demeter, the goddess of the harvest and the grain, mother of the seasons themselves. So folded inside this small modern name is one of the oldest and most nourishing figures in Greek myth. The actor Demi Moore, born Demetria, made the short form a star in its own right, and it has since stood on its own as a bright, breezy given name. It also charms bilingual ears, sounding like the French demi, half, though the Greek harvest goddess is the true root. In the United States Demi reads as current as it has ever been, a name that feels effortlessly modern. Light and quick on its own, Demi still opens onto Demetria and the goddess behind her, sweetness with real depth underneath.
The formal names behind Demi
Demi is an established short form of this name.
Demetria · Greek origin · The feminine form of Demetrios, linked to Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Demi peaked in the 2020s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
165 people · the #29,146 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 1,000,000 · median age 42
Among people named Demi living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Demi
Most people given the name Demi in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Demi deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Demi truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Demi fits with your family’s names and surname.
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