Deckard
A masculine name of French origin meaning "capable warrior".
Name Census estimates that about 264 living Americans carry the first name Deckard. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Deckard today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Deckard births was 2017 (30 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Deckard. 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
264
~ 1 in 1,298,312 Americans
Peak year
2017
30 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,329
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Deckard: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Deckard from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 146 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Deckard remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Deckard 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 Deckard during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Deckards live
Origin
Meaning and history of Deckard
The name Deckard originates from the Old German language, and it is believed to have first emerged in the 9th century AD. The name is derived from the Germanic root words "deck" and "hard," which together mean "brave guard" or "brave protector."
In the early medieval period, the name was primarily found in the regions of present-day Germany and the Netherlands. It was a common name among the Germanic tribes and was often given to those who served as guards or warriors.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Deckard can be found in the Nibelungenlied, an epic poem from the 13th century. The poem mentions a character named Deckard, who is described as a brave and loyal knight.
Over the centuries, the name Deckard has been borne by several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded examples is Deckard von Nürnberg (1290-1349), a German knight and military leader who fought in the Hundred Years' War.
Another prominent figure with the name Deckard was Deckard Ratzinger (1559-1631), a German theologian and philosopher who made significant contributions to the Protestant Reformation.
In the 18th century, Deckard Müller (1715-1789) was a German composer and organist known for his works in the Baroque style.
During the 19th century, Deckard von Bismarck (1815-1898) was a German statesman and the first Chancellor of the German Empire. He played a pivotal role in the unification of Germany and is considered one of the most influential figures in European history.
More recently, Deckard Jones (1921-2003) was an American author and poet who gained recognition for his works exploring themes of identity and the human experience.
Throughout its history, the name Deckard has been associated with bravery, strength, and a sense of duty. While its usage has waxed and waned over the centuries, it remains a powerful and evocative name with deep roots in Germanic culture and tradition.
People
Deckard + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Deckard 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
Deckard: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Deckard?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 264 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Deckard 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 1,298,312 US residents.
Is Deckard a common name?
We classify Deckard as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 266 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Deckard most popular?
The single biggest year for Deckard was 2017, when 30 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Deckard is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Deckard in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Deckard a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Deckard 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.
Is Deckard still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Deckard in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Deckard can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Deckard?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.