Dejohn
A masculine given name derived from the French "de Jeanne", meaning "son of John".
Name Census estimates that about 426 living Americans carry the first name Dejohn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dejohn today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dejohn births was 1997 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dejohn. 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
426
~ 1 in 804,588 Americans
Peak year
1997
23 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,168
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Dejohn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dejohn from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 168 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dejohn 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 Dejohn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dejohns live
Origin
Meaning and history of Dejohn
The name Dejohn is a relatively modern construction that combines the French prefix "de" meaning "of" or "from" with the English name John. It is not derived from any specific language or culture, but rather emerged as a creative name combination in the 20th century.
While the name John has deep roots tracing back to the Hebrew name Yohanan meaning "Graced by God," the prefix "de" has been used in French names to denote nobility or geographic origin. The combination of these elements into the name Dejohn is a more recent invention, likely inspired by the desire for a unique and distinctive name.
There are no known historical references or ancient texts that mention the name Dejohn specifically. However, some early recorded examples of individuals with this first name can be found in various records from the late 20th century onwards.
One notable figure with the name Dejohn is Dejohn Upshaw, an American football player who was born in 1988 and played as a defensive tackle in the NFL for several teams, including the New Orleans Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Another individual named Dejohn is Dejohn Cromer, an American basketball player born in 1990, who played for various college teams and went on to compete professionally in leagues around the world.
Dejohn Jenkins, born in 1981, is an American actor and comedian who has appeared in several television shows and films, including the comedy series "Key & Peele" and the movie "The Hangover Part III."
Dejohn Branch is an American singer and songwriter born in 1985, known for his work in the R&B and gospel genres. He has released several albums and has collaborated with other artists in the music industry.
Dejohn Franklin is an American businessman and entrepreneur born in 1976, who co-founded the successful e-commerce company Rent the Runway, which specializes in renting designer clothing and accessories.
While these are some notable examples, the name Dejohn remains relatively uncommon, and its usage is primarily limited to modern times, with no significant historical or cultural significance beyond its creative combination of linguistic elements.
People
Dejohn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dejohn 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
Dejohn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dejohn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 426 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dejohn 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 804,588 US residents.
Is Dejohn a common name?
We classify Dejohn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 435 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dejohn most popular?
The single biggest year for Dejohn was 1997, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dejohn is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dejohn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dejohn 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.