Dema
A feminine name of Greek origin, meaning "the people".
Name Census estimates that about 303 living Americans carry the first name Dema. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Dema today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dema births was 1919 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dema. 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
303
~ 1 in 1,131,202 Americans
Peak year
1919
24 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2023 SSA rank
#9,132
Tracked since 1888
Popularity
Dema: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dema from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 149 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
Dema 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 Dema during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Demas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Dema
The name Dema has its origins in ancient Greek culture, dating back to the classical era around the 5th century BC. It is derived from the Greek word "demas," which translates to "body." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with physical strength or a robust physique.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Dema can be found in the works of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who mentions a figure named Dema in his accounts of the Persian Wars. However, little is known about this individual beyond the mention of their name.
In the realm of mythology, there are references to a minor deity named Dema in Greek folklore. This figure was said to personify the concept of fear or dread, and was often depicted as a shadowy presence accompanying the goddess of vengeance, Nemesis.
The first notable historical figure to bear the name Dema was Dema of Cyrene, a Greek philosopher from the 3rd century BC who was a student of the renowned Stoic thinker Ariston of Chios. Dema is credited with developing his own philosophical school, known as the Dematonians, which emphasized the importance of self-control and virtue.
Another significant figure named Dema was Dema of Alexandria, a 4th-century Christian martyr who was executed for her faith during the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Her story is recounted in various hagiographies and she is revered as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic traditions.
In the medieval period, there was a Dema who served as a high-ranking official in the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Emperor Basil II in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. Historical records indicate that he played a crucial role in the administration of the empire's affairs and was a trusted advisor to the emperor.
Another notable figure named Dema was Dema Zografski, a 16th-century Bulgarian icon painter and master of the Tarnovo Artistic School. His works, which include frescoes and icons, are considered among the finest examples of Bulgarian medieval art and can still be found in churches and monasteries across the country.
In more recent times, one of the most well-known individuals named Dema was Dema Rusishvili, a celebrated Georgian writer and poet who lived from 1907 to 1975. His works, which often explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, played a significant role in shaping modern Georgian literature.
People
Dema + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dema 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
Dema: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dema?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 303 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dema 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 1,131,202 US residents.
Is Dema a common name?
We classify Dema as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 844 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dema most popular?
The single biggest year for Dema was 1919, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dema is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dema a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dema in the SSA data are female. 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.