Dominic
Meaning
"belonging to the Lord," from Dominicus, once given to boys born on Sunday, the Lord's day; carried by the medieval saint who founded the Dominicans and long favored in Catholic families. Dom is the sturdy short form
Goes by Dom
Name day: August 8 in the Roman calendar of saints (Saint Dominic).
The story
Dominic comes from the Late Latin Dominicus, 'of the Lord,' and was traditionally given to children born on Sunday, the Lord's day. Its best-known medieval bearer, Saint Dominic, founded the Dominican order in the early thirteenth century; the friars carried his name across Catholic Europe, while Italian kept Domenico and Spanish Domingo. America treated Dominic differently from many saints' names: it never disappeared, but spent most of the early twentieth century at a steady murmur before beginning a long climb after midcentury. The curve rises through the 1980s and 1990s, reaches its high point in the 2010s, then eases only slightly. That shape looks less like a craze than a gradual widening, helped by a name that travels easily between Italian, Latino, and English-speaking families. Dom makes it casual; Dominic keeps the full old ceremony.
Dominic around the world
One shared root links 6 names across 4 languages.
Shared root: from Latin Dominicus "belonging to the Lord", once given especially to Sunday's children
The constellation
More branches
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Dominic peaked in the 2010s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
4,004 people · the #3,191 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 50,000 · median age 3
Among people named Dominic living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 2010s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 2,260 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
How the spellings raced
Across these spellings, Dominic led in the group’s busiest decade, the 2010s. So far in the 2020s, Dominic leads.
Decade totals from US Social Security birth registrations. Every line uses the same scale. The 2020s covers 2020–2025.
When you meet Dominic
Most people given the name Dominic in the United States are teenagers or young adults today.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Dominic deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Dominic 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 Dominic fits with your family’s names and surname.
Where Dominic travels
Italian American · A steady, beloved Italian American classic.
Vietnamese American · A Vietnamese Catholic baptismal choice corresponding to Đaminh.
Keep exploring
Names like Dominic · Nicknames for Dominic · Middle names for Dominic · Italian American baby names · Vietnamese American baby names · Saint names for babies and confirmation
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