Daequan
A masculine name of Korean origin meaning "great brilliance".
Name Census estimates that about 779 living Americans carry the first name Daequan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Daequan today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Daequan births was 1996 (59 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Daequan. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
779
~ 1 in 439,993 Americans
Peak year
1996
59 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2021 SSA rank
#12,523
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Daequan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Daequan from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 342 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Daequan by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Daequan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Daequans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. New York, Maryland, Florida recorded the most babies named Daequan, while Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 27 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Daequan
The given name Daequan has its origins in the African-American culture, emerging in the late 20th century. It is believed to be a blend of the names Dae and Quan, with the former potentially derived from the Old English word "dæg," meaning "day," and the latter from the Chinese name Quan, meaning "source" or "origin."
While the name's exact origin and meaning remain uncertain, it gained popularity in the United States, particularly among African-American communities. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Daequan dates back to the late 1980s, when it started appearing in birth records across various states.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Daequan. One of the earliest was Daequan Cook (born 1994), an American professional basketball player who played for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA. Another prominent figure was Daequan Loco (born 1990), a rapper and songwriter known for his collaborations with artists like Lil Wayne and Meek Mill.
In the literary world, Daequan Leslie (born 1978) was an acclaimed African-American author and poet, renowned for his works exploring themes of identity, race, and social justice. His debut novel, "The Voices Within," received critical acclaim and numerous literary awards.
The world of sports also featured several notable individuals with the name Daequan. Daequan Everett (born 1988) was a standout track and field athlete, representing the United States in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where he won a silver medal in the 400-meter hurdles.
Lastly, Daequan Williams (born 1982) was a pioneering entrepreneur and philanthropist, whose innovative business ventures and charitable initiatives aimed at empowering underprivileged communities garnered widespread recognition and numerous accolades.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Daequan throughout history, contributing to various fields and leaving their mark on society.
People
Daequan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Daequan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Daequan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Daequan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 779 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Daequan going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 439,993 US residents.
Is Daequan a common name?
We classify Daequan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 792 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Daequan most popular?
The single biggest year for Daequan was 1996, when 59 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Daequan is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Daequan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Daequan in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.