Dechelle
Feminine name of French origin meaning "from the little valley".
Name Census estimates that about 70 living Americans carry the first name Dechelle. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Dechelle today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dechelle births was 1993 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dechelle. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dechelle. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
70
~ 1 in 4,896,491 Americans
Peak year
1993
8 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
1996 SSA rank
#12,225
Tracked since 1969
Popularity
Dechelle: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dechelle from the 1960s through to the 1990s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 38 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dechelle 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 Dechelle during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dechelle
The name Dechelle has its origins in the French language and dates back to the medieval period, specifically the 12th century. It is derived from the French word "déchet," which means "waste" or "discard." The name likely originated as a nickname or surname for someone who lived near a rubbish dump or worked in a profession related to waste disposal.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dechelle can be found in the town records of Chartres, France, from the year 1207. Here, a man named Jehan Dechelle is mentioned as a resident of the town. It is believed that this was his surname, which later evolved into a given name.
In the 13th century, the name Dechelle appeared in the French epic poem "The Song of Roland," where it was used as a character name for a minor figure. This suggests that the name had gained some recognition and usage among the French population during this time.
The first known historical figure to bear the name Dechelle was Dechelle de Montpellier, a French noblewoman who lived in the late 13th century. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her support of the local monastery in Montpellier.
Another notable individual with the name Dechelle was Dechelle d'Anjou, born in 1345, who was a renowned poet and writer during the French Renaissance period. Her collection of romantic poetry, titled "Les Amours de Dechelle," was widely read and celebrated in her time.
In the 16th century, a French explorer named Dechelle Cartier is recorded as being part of the expeditions that explored and mapped the St. Lawrence River in what is now Canada. His involvement in these voyages contributed to the early exploration and settlement of the region.
During the 17th century, a French artist named Dechelle Lefebvre gained recognition for her intricate tapestry designs and woven works. She was commissioned by several nobles and members of the French royal court to create elaborate tapestries and wall hangings.
The name Dechelle continued to be used throughout the following centuries, though its popularity waned over time. Notable individuals bearing this name include Dechelle Dubois, a French revolutionary who participated in the events of the French Revolution in the late 18th century.
People
Dechelle + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dechelle 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
Dechelle: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dechelle?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 70 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dechelle 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 4,896,491 US residents.
Is Dechelle a common name?
We classify Dechelle as "Very Rare". It ranks above 59.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 75 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dechelle most popular?
The single biggest year for Dechelle was 1993, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dechelle is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dechelle a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dechelle in the SSA data are female. 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.