Densil
English name transferred from an English surname derived from Middle English dense, meaning "dense, thick."
Name Census estimates that about 38 living Americans carry the first name Densil. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Densil today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Densil births was 1928 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Densil. 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 Densil is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Densils were born before 1956.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Densil. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
38
~ 1 in 9,019,851 Americans
Peak year
1928
12 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1963 SSA rank
#3,396
Tracked since 1915
Census
Densil in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 162 people with the first name Densil, which placed it at #43,512 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#43,512
National first-name rank
People counted
162
162 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
50.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Densil
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Densil is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Black (35.2%) and Hispanic (8.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Densil described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Densil at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.0% · 81
- Black or African American35.2% · 57
- Hispanic or Latino8.6% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.1% · 5
- Two or more races2.5% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1
Popularity
Densil: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Densil from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 55 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
Densil 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 Densil 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 Densil
The name Densil is an English given name derived from the Old French word "denser," meaning "to dance." Its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, specifically the 12th century, when dance and minstrelsy were popular forms of entertainment among the nobility.
During the medieval period, the name Densil was commonly associated with court jesters, minstrels, and entertainers who performed lively dances and skits for the amusement of royalty and the aristocracy. It was a name that evoked a sense of merriment and joy, reflecting the vibrant culture of the time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Densil can be found in the historical records of the Court of Henry II, the King of England from 1154 to 1189. Densil the Jester was a renowned entertainer who performed at the royal court, renowned for his wit and skill in dance and comedy.
In the 14th century, the name Densil gained prominence with the rise of the Densil family, a prominent noble clan from the county of Wiltshire, England. Sir Densil de Beauchamp, born in 1325, was a renowned knight and military commander who fought alongside Edward, the Black Prince, during the Hundred Years' War.
Another notable figure bearing the name Densil was Densil Holles, 1st Baron Holles, who lived from 1599 to 1680. He was an English nobleman, politician, and a prominent figure during the English Civil War, serving as a leader of the Parliamentarian forces.
In the realm of literature, the name Densil was immortalized in the works of the renowned English poet and playwright, William Shakespeare. In his play "Love's Labour's Lost," one of the characters is named Densil, a witty and merry individual who brings humor and levity to the story.
Throughout history, the name Densil has been associated with various professions and pursuits, from entertainers and jesters to military leaders and noblemen. Its unique origins and connection to the vibrant medieval culture have made it a distinctive and intriguing name, carrying a sense of joy and merriment.
People
Densil + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Densil 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
Densil: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Densil?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 38 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Densil 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 9,019,851 US residents.
Is Densil a common name?
We classify Densil as "Very Rare". It ranks above 50.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 152 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Densil most popular?
The single biggest year for Densil was 1928, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Densil is about 80 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Densil in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 162 people with the name Densil, or 0.05 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #43,512 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Densil in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Densil?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Densil leans strongly male. 151 people counted with this name were male (94.4%), compared with 9 female bearers (5.6%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Densil?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Densil is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Black (35.2%) and Hispanic (8.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Densil most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Densil in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.0% (81 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Densil in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Densil a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Densil 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 Densil still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Densil 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 Densil 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.
How many people have Densil as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Densil, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.