I can't help but notice that there is a fair amount of confusion in the comments above. As such, I would like to try to clear up a little bit of that confusion. I hope to achieve that by explaining to you the difference in etymology of the word 'Demon' and the ancient Greek personal name Demon. I will try to keep it simple. :)Alright, so obviously we have all heard about the concept of 'Demon' in Judeo-Christian legend. In this case, the word 'Demon' is actually a corruption of Latin 'daemon'. The -ae- in many latinate words and names is eventually corrupted into -e-, which makes sense, since the -e- variant is simpler to spell and pronounce. Often, these simpler variants become the mainstream spelling. Just compare: Aemilia becomes Emilia, Caecilia becomes Cecilia, and so forth. So, that is why the word 'daemon' eventually became 'Demon'.Now that we've got that covered, it should be said that the word 'daemon' is actually the latinized form of the Greek word δαίμων (daimōn) meaning "god, goddess, divine power". The -ai- in many Greek words and names is usually latinized to -ae-. For example, Althaia becomes Althea, Parthenopaios becomes Parthenopaeus, and so on. Even further down the line, this -ae- is usually corrupted into -e-, as I had already explained in the previous paragraph.In short, this is the journey that the word "Demon" (from Judeo-Christian legend) has made over time:Daimon ---> Daemon ---> DemonAre you guys still with me so far? Okay, then now I will tell you something about Demon as an ancient Greek personal name. As the entry here on Behind the Name correctly states, the name Demon is derived from Greek δημος (demos) meaning "the people". It has always been that way. I mean, there are *no* instances here and there where ancient Greek parents named their son after the 'daimon' (which is also a concept in Greek mythology, by the way - though a daimon was originally benevolent in Greek mythology). In other words: Demon as a personal name always derives from 'demos', never from 'daimon'.As such, the personal name Demon has an entirely different etymology than the word 'Demon' from Judeo-Christian legend. They have only two things in common with each other, namely:1. They both originate from the Greek language; 2. Their outward appearance (i.e. their spelling) is the same.And that's it. That's where the similarities end.Now that you guys know this, I hope you realise that giving a boy the ancient Greek personal name Demon is *not* the same as naming him after the concept 'Demon' from Judeo-Christian legend. It does *not* mean that the parents have hateful or offensive intentions, not at all. Yes, I suppose the difference seems subtle to many people - especially those who have little knowledge about etymology in general. And yes, I can understand that the same spelling of Demon and 'Demon' causes people to mistake the former for the latter. I get that, but there *is* a difference, and that cannot be denied. More people should know about that, and that is why I wrote this. It doesn't matter if only a handful of people read this; it will still be infinitely better than nothing at all. :) Besides, these people could always spread the knowledge (if they find themselves in a situation where it's appropriate to do so), and more educated people is always a good thing. :)Alright, that is all that I wanted to say. Thank you for taking the time to read this. :)
Alright, so obviously we have all heard about the concept of 'Demon' in Judeo-Christian legend. In this case, the word 'Demon' is actually a corruption of Latin 'daemon'. The -ae- in many latinate words and names is eventually corrupted into -e-, which makes sense, since the -e- variant is simpler to spell and pronounce. Often, these simpler variants become the mainstream spelling. Just compare: Aemilia becomes Emilia, Caecilia becomes Cecilia, and so forth. So, that is why the word 'daemon' eventually became 'Demon'.
Now that we've got that covered, it should be said that the word 'daemon' is actually the latinized form of the Greek word δαίμων (daimōn) meaning "god, goddess, divine power". The -ai- in many Greek words and names is usually latinized to -ae-. For example, Althaia becomes Althea, Parthenopaios becomes Parthenopaeus, and so on. Even further down the line, this -ae- is usually corrupted into -e-, as I had already explained in the previous paragraph.
In short, this is the journey that the word "Demon" (from Judeo-Christian legend) has made over time:
Daimon ---> Daemon ---> Demon
Are you guys still with me so far? Okay, then now I will tell you something about Demon as an ancient Greek personal name. As the entry here on Behind the Name correctly states, the name Demon is derived from Greek δημος (demos) meaning "the people". It has always been that way. I mean, there are *no* instances here and there where ancient Greek parents named their son after the 'daimon' (which is also a concept in Greek mythology, by the way - though a daimon was originally benevolent in Greek mythology). In other words: Demon as a personal name always derives from 'demos', never from 'daimon'.
As such, the personal name Demon has an entirely different etymology than the word 'Demon' from Judeo-Christian legend. They have only two things in common with each other, namely:
1. They both originate from the Greek language;
2. Their outward appearance (i.e. their spelling) is the same.
And that's it. That's where the similarities end.
Now that you guys know this, I hope you realise that giving a boy the ancient Greek personal name Demon is *not* the same as naming him after the concept 'Demon' from Judeo-Christian legend. It does *not* mean that the parents have hateful or offensive intentions, not at all. Yes, I suppose the difference seems subtle to many people - especially those who have little knowledge about etymology in general. And yes, I can understand that the same spelling of Demon and 'Demon' causes people to mistake the former for the latter. I get that, but there *is* a difference, and that cannot be denied. More people should know about that, and that is why I wrote this. It doesn't matter if only a handful of people read this; it will still be infinitely better than nothing at all. :) Besides, these people could always spread the knowledge (if they find themselves in a situation where it's appropriate to do so), and more educated people is always a good thing. :)
Alright, that is all that I wanted to say. Thank you for taking the time to read this. :)