Damaris is a Greek name from the New Testament; in Acts the Athenian woman Damaris was converted by Paul's preaching. Its meaning is uncertain and is usually explained as "calf" or "gentle", from the Greek damalis, a heifer. In the United States the name is especially popular with Spanish-speaking families; it ranked number 731 in 2000, peaked at number 603 in 2006 and has since slipped out of the top 1000 to number 1437 in 2025.