Meaning of the Name Darius

Darius comes from the Old Persian form 'Darayavahush.' It is commonly explained along the lines of 'holding firm the good,' 'maintaining what is good,' or more broadly 'one who possesses or preserves.' The basic etymology is accepted, though it is not easy to compress into a single exact English gloss.

Origin

The name Darius is of Old Persian origin.

Who is Darius in the Bible?

In the Bible the name Darius is used for more than one ruler. One of the best-known uses is the Darius of Daniel 6; another appears in Ezra, Haggai, and Zechariah in the Persian-period context of the temple's rebuilding.

The story of Darius in the Bible

The name Darius is used for more than one ruler in the Bible. The best known is Darius the Mede in the book of Daniel, who receives the kingdom after the night Belshazzar is killed. He plans to give Daniel high office, but jealous officials push through a law commanding that for thirty days prayers be offered to the king alone. When Daniel keeps praying to his own God as before, Darius cannot revoke the decree he has signed and reluctantly has him thrown into the lions' den. After a sleepless night the king hurries to the pit at dawn, rejoices to find Daniel alive, and sends out a proclamation declaring Daniel's God the living God. In Ezra, another Darius appears during the rebuilding of the temple: a search of the archives uncovers Cyrus's decree, and Darius orders that the work continue with official support. Haggai and Zechariah likewise date their prophecies by the years of this Persian king.

Is Darius mentioned in the Quran?

The name Darius does not appear in the Quran; in the Bible it is a royal name of the Persian era, known from the lions' den story in Daniel and from the temple rebuilding context in Ezra, Haggai, and Zechariah.

Verses where Darius appears