Dejean
Of Greek origin meaning "of Zeus" or "divine king".
Name Census estimates that about 194 living Americans carry the first name Dejean. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dejean today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dejean births was 1999 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dejean. 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
194
~ 1 in 1,766,775 Americans
Peak year
1999
17 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2022 SSA rank
#11,191
Tracked since 1982
Popularity
Dejean: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dejean from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 79 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dejean 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 Dejean 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 Dejean
The given name Dejean has its origins in the French language. It is believed to have originated in the late 16th or early 17th century, derived from the Old French word "dej??ner," meaning "to break one's fast" or "to have breakfast."
In its earliest form, the name was likely a surname bestowed upon individuals who had a reputation for being late risers or those who placed great importance on the morning meal. Over time, it transitioned into a given name, particularly among French families.
One of the earliest known references to the name Dejean can be found in the records of the French nobility from the 17th century. It was borne by Jean-Baptiste Dejean, a French military officer and nobleman who served as a lieutenant general under King Louis XIV. He was born in 1655 and died in 1727.
Another notable figure with the name Dejean was Pierre Francois Marie Auguste Dejean, a French entomologist and general who lived from 1780 to 1845. He made significant contributions to the study of beetles and was a member of the French Academy of Sciences.
In the realm of literature, the name Dejean appears in the works of French writer Honoré de Balzac. One of his characters, a banker named Dejean, is featured in the novel "Père Goriot," published in 1835.
During the 19th century, the name Dejean gained some prominence in France, particularly among the upper classes. One such individual was Étienne Dejean, a French politician and statesman who served as the Minister of War under King Louis-Philippe. He was born in 1765 and died in 1846.
Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Louis Dejean, a French architect and urban planner who lived from 1822 to 1907. He was responsible for designing several prestigious buildings and public spaces in Paris, including the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont.
While the name Dejean has French roots, it has also been adopted by families in other parts of the world, particularly in regions with strong French cultural influences. However, its usage as a given name remains most prevalent in France and among French-speaking communities.
People
Dejean + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dejean 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
Dejean: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dejean?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 194 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dejean 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 1,766,775 US residents.
Is Dejean a common name?
We classify Dejean as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 198 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dejean most popular?
The single biggest year for Dejean was 1999, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dejean is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dejean a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dejean 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.