Deforest
One from the forest or a clearing in the woods.
Name Census estimates that about 203 living Americans carry the first name Deforest. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Deforest today is around 65 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Deforest births was 1920 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Deforest. 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
- • The typical person named Deforest is about 65 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Deforests were born before 1971.
People living today
203
~ 1 in 1,688,445 Americans
Peak year
1920
26 babies that year
Average age
65
years old
2001 SSA rank
#10,963
Tracked since 1881
Popularity
Deforest: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Deforest from the 1880s through to the 2000s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 174 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Deforest 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 Deforest during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Deforests live
Origin
Meaning and history of Deforest
The given name Deforest is an English name that originated in the late 19th century. It is a combination of the French prefix "de," meaning "of" or "from," and the English word "forest." The name was likely inspired by the growing environmental conservation movement and the desire to protect and celebrate nature, particularly forests.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Deforest can be found in the 1880 United States Census, where a few individuals were listed with this name. It gained popularity in the early 20th century, particularly in the United States, as a way to honor the country's natural landscapes and wilderness areas.
While the name Deforest does not have a direct historical reference in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it may have been influenced by the reverence for nature found in various cultures and spiritual traditions throughout history. The connection between humans and the natural world has been a recurring theme in literature, art, and philosophy across different civilizations.
Some notable individuals who have borne the name Deforest include:
1. Deforest Kelly (1920-1999), an American actor best known for his role as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in the Star Trek television series and films.
2. Deforest Buckner (born 1994), an American professional football player who currently plays defensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts in the National Football League (NFL).
3. Deforest Soaries (born 1951), an American minister, author, and former Secretary of State of New Jersey.
4. Deforest Kelley (1884-1953), an American businessman and politician who served as the 30th Governor of New Mexico from 1937 to 1939.
5. Deforest P. Henderson (1879-1957), an American lawyer and judge who served as a United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit.
These individuals, spanning various professions and time periods, have contributed to the recognition and popularity of the name Deforest throughout history.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Deforest
People
Deforest + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Deforest 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
Deforest: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Deforest?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 203 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Deforest 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 1,688,445 US residents.
Is Deforest a common name?
We classify Deforest as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 667 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Deforest most popular?
The single biggest year for Deforest was 1920, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Deforest is about 65 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Deforest a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Deforest 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.