Deith
Of Gaelic origin, meaning "stranger" or "wanderer".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Deith. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Deith today is around 62 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Deith births was 1968 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Deith. 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 Deith. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1968
6 babies that year
Average age
62
years old
1968 SSA rank
#3,786
Tracked since 1968
Popularity
Deith: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Deith 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 Deith during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Deith
The name Deith is believed to have originated from the Old Norse language, which was spoken by the Germanic peoples of Scandinavia from around the 8th to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old Norse word "deith," which means "death" or "to die." This name was likely given to children as a way to ward off death or to honor those who had passed away.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Deith can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, which are a collection of historical and mythological stories written in the 13th and 14th centuries. In the Saga of Grettir the Strong, a character named Deith is mentioned as a prominent farmer in the Westfjords region of Iceland during the 10th century.
In the Middle Ages, the name Deith was relatively uncommon but not unheard of in Scandinavia and other parts of Europe influenced by Norse culture. One notable figure was Deith Olafsson (c. 1150-1220), a Norwegian chieftain and landowner who played a role in the civil wars that followed the death of King Sverre Sigurdsson.
During the Renaissance period, the name Deith gained some popularity among certain intellectual and artistic circles, perhaps due to its association with themes of mortality and the transience of life. One example is Deith Halvorsen (1540-1612), a Danish philosopher and writer who wrote extensively on the subject of death and its philosophical implications.
In more recent times, the name Deith has been relatively rare, but there have been a few notable individuals who bore this name. Deith Eriksson (1884-1976) was a Swedish architect and designer who was influential in the development of the Scandinavian Modernist style of architecture and furniture design.
Another notable figure was Deith Jorgensen (1920-2001), a Norwegian-American author and professor of literature who wrote several books on Norse mythology and culture. His works helped to introduce these ancient stories and traditions to a wider audience in the English-speaking world.
While the name Deith may seem somewhat unusual or morbid to modern sensibilities, it has a rich and fascinating history that reflects the cultural values and beliefs of the ancient Norse societies from which it originated. Its enduring presence, albeit in a limited capacity, throughout the centuries is a testament to the lasting influence of this linguistic and cultural heritage.
People
Deith + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Deith 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
Deith: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Deith?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Deith 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Deith a common name?
We classify Deith as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Deith most popular?
The single biggest year for Deith was 1968, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Deith is about 62 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 Deith in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Deith a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Deith 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 Deith still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Deith 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 Deith 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 Deith?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.