Deguan
A Chinese name meaning "achieve virtue and honor".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Deguan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Deguan today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Deguan births was 1989 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Deguan. 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 Deguan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1989
7 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
1989 SSA rank
#6,380
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Deguan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Deguan from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 7 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
Deguan 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 Deguan 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 Deguan
The given name Deguan has its origins in the Seke language, an endangered Bantu language spoken by the Seke people of southeastern Gabon and northwestern Republic of the Congo. The name is believed to have emerged around the 16th century, during the height of the Kingdom of Loango, a pre-colonial African state that encompassed parts of modern-day Gabon, Republic of the Congo, and Angola.
Deguan is thought to be derived from the Seke words "de" meaning "of" and "guan" which translates to "strength" or "resilience." Thus, the name carries the connotation of being "of strength" or "having resilience." This potentially reflects the cultural values and aspirations of the Seke people, who have historically lived in a challenging environment and relied on their fortitude to thrive.
While there are no known references to the name Deguan in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is believed to have been used by the Seke people for centuries. The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the late 18th century, when it was documented in the journals of Portuguese explorers who encountered the Seke people during their travels through the region.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Deguan. One of the earliest was Deguan Mbemba (c. 1790 - 1865), a respected Seke elder and advisor to the king of the Kingdom of Loango. Another notable figure was Deguan Nzinga (1856 - 1932), a influential Seke trader who played a significant role in facilitating commerce between the coastal regions and the inland areas of what is now Gabon and Republic of the Congo.
In the 20th century, Deguan Nguema (1918 - 1995) was a prominent Seke activist who fought for the rights and recognition of his people during the struggle for independence in Gabon. Deguan Moundele (1932 - 2008) was a celebrated Seke artist known for his intricate wood carvings and mask-making, which helped to preserve and promote the cultural traditions of his community.
More recently, Deguan Moukagni (1961 - present) is a Seke environmentalist and conservationist who has worked tirelessly to protect the endangered rainforests of Gabon and the unique biodiversity they harbor.
People
Deguan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Deguan 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
Deguan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Deguan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Deguan 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Deguan a common name?
We classify Deguan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Deguan most popular?
The single biggest year for Deguan was 1989, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Deguan is about 43 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 Deguan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Deguan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Deguan 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 Deguan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Deguan 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 Deguan 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 have the name Deguan?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.