Damien

Damien carries a gentle French polish on the ancient Greek Damianos, from daman, meaning to tame or subdue. Saint Damian was an early Christian physician who treated the poor without payment, martyred alongside his brother Cosmas, and the name stayed warm in Catholic Europe for centuries. The Omen film of 1976 gave Damien a briefly sinister reputation, but the name has since climbed back into favor, helped along by actors Damien Rice and Damian Lewis. Two syllables, DAY-mee-en, with a soft landing. The sound feels poetic and considered, slightly European, a touch brooding. Damien suits a thoughtful boy, quieter than his classmates, sharper than he lets on.