Dempsy
A diminutive variant of the masculine given name Dennis.
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Dempsy. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dempsy today is around 87 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dempsy births was 1919 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dempsy. 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
- • The typical person named Dempsy is about 87 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Dempsys were born before 1949.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dempsy. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
1919
15 babies that year
Average age
87
years old
1945 SSA rank
#2,810
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Dempsy: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dempsy from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 66 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
Dempsy 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 Dempsy 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 Dempsy
The name Dempsy is an anglicized variation of the Irish surname Dempsey, which itself derives from the Gaelic Ó Diomasaigh. This ancient surname originated in County Laois, Ireland, where it was first recorded in the 11th century. The progenitor of the name is thought to have been Diomasach, a personal name meaning "proud" or "arrogant."
In its earliest forms, the name was rendered as Diomasach or Diomusach. Over time, as the name spread beyond the borders of Ireland, it underwent various transformations, with spellings like Dempsy, Dempsey, and Dempsy emerging. These anglicized versions became more common as the name was adopted by English speakers.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name Dempsy was Sir Nicholas Dempsy, a prominent figure in 14th century England. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1350 and played a crucial role in defending the city during the Peasants' Revolt of 1381.
Another notable individual with the name Dempsy was Jack Dempsy, a famous American boxer who reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. Born William Harrison Dempsy in 1895, he was known for his aggressive fighting style and became one of the most popular and celebrated athletes of his era.
In the world of literature, Dempsy appears as the name of a character in James Joyce's seminal novel "Ulysses," published in 1922. The character, Dempsy, is a minor figure who appears briefly in the "Cyclops" episode of the book.
Moving to the realm of politics, Dempsy was the first name of Dempsy Nutt, an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1965 to 1975, representing Arkansas's 4th congressional district.
Lastly, Dempsy was also the first name of Dempsy Walkington, a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played as a center in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers between 1932 and 1942.
While the name Dempsy has maintained a presence throughout history, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Gaelic culture of Ireland, where it emerged as a proud and distinctive moniker reflecting the strength and character of its bearers.
People
Dempsy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dempsy 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
Dempsy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dempsy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dempsy 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 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Dempsy a common name?
We classify Dempsy as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 119 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dempsy most popular?
The single biggest year for Dempsy was 1919, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dempsy is about 87 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dempsy a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dempsy 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.