What does Dominic mean?
Dominic means “of the Lord,” from Late Latin Dominicus. The name was traditionally given to children born on Sunday, connecting its religious meaning with the day of the week. Its English form has a long history shaped especially by Saint Dominic and the order associated with him.
Dominic entered English use around the thirteenth century in the saint's honor. The related names Dominick and Domenic offer different English spellings, while the full Latin Dominicus preserves the older ending. The modern name's three syllables retain a clear link with that earlier form.
Saint Dominic and the preachers
Dominic de Guzmán was born in Caleruega in Castile and studied in Palencia. His work eventually took him into southern France, where he developed a community devoted to preaching. In 1215, the group settled in Toulouse in a house provided by Pierre Seilhan.
Pope Honorius III confirmed that community in December 1216. In January 1217, the brothers were identified as preachers, the vocation that gave the Order of Preachers its name. The Dominican tradition also placed study close to its mission, with communities developing near university centers such as Paris and Bologna.
Dominic died in Bologna in 1221 and was canonized in 1234. His name became attached to an enduring religious community, making this more than the history of an individual saint. The order's presence helped carry forms of Dominic across countries and centuries.
Dominic Thiem and tennis
Austrian tennis player Dominic Thiem gives the name a modern sporting connection. He won the men's singles title at the 2020 US Open after a five-set final against Alexander Zverev. It was his first Grand Slam singles title.
Thiem lost the opening two sets before winning the next two and taking the match into a deciding set. The final ended in a tiebreak, completing a comeback after more than four hours of play. The match made his first name especially visible to an international audience following the tournament.
Before the New York victory, Thiem had reached the finals at Roland Garros in 2018 and 2019 and at the Australian Open in 2020. The US Open changed that sequence of runner-up finishes.
Pronunciation and related names
In English, Dominic is pronounced DOM-ih-nik, with stress on the first syllable. Dom is an established familiar form. Dominick and Domenic are related spellings, while Spanish Domingo, Italian Domenico, and French Dominique belong to the wider Dominicus family. Their different endings give the same Latin root several distinct modern rhythms.
Dominic in American records
Dominic reached its American boys' peak in 2013, with 6,336 babies and a rank of No. 68. In 2025, 3,277 boys received the name, placing it at No. 106. Its substantial recent use sits alongside a naming history reaching back to the Middle Ages and an older Latin origin.
Sources & methodologyReferences, data & attribution
Meaning and history draw on the references below. American popularity figures use published Social Security Administration records for this exact spelling; counts below five for a name, sex, and year are omitted.
How popular is Dominic?
In 2025, Dominic ranked #106 among boys in the United States, with 3,277 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for boys in 1885; its largest annual count was 6,336 in 2013. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.