Deontai
Of disputed origin, possibly meaning "gift from God" or "provider".
Name Census estimates that about 48 living Americans carry the first name Deontai. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Deontai today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Deontai births was 1991 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Deontai. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Deontai. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
48
~ 1 in 7,140,715 Americans
Peak year
1991
7 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2001 SSA rank
#9,563
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Deontai: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Deontai from the 1990s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 36 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Deontai remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Deontai 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 Deontai 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 Deontai
The given name Deontai is believed to have its origins in the Choctaw language, which is a Native American language spoken by the Choctaw people of the Southeastern United States. The name is thought to be derived from the Choctaw words "deon" meaning "good" and "tai" meaning "life" or "path," suggesting that Deontai may have been intended to convey the meaning of "good life" or "good path."
While the precise origins of the name are not entirely clear, some historical records suggest that the name may have been in use among the Choctaw people as early as the 18th century. However, written accounts from that time are scarce, making it difficult to pinpoint the earliest recorded instances of the name with certainty.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Deontai was a Choctaw warrior who lived in the late 18th century. While little is known about his life, he is mentioned in some oral traditions passed down among the Choctaw people, suggesting that he may have played a significant role in his community.
In the 19th century, the name Deontai appears to have gained some popularity among other Native American tribes, particularly those with cultural or linguistic ties to the Choctaw people. For example, there are records of a Chickasaw man named Deontai who was born around 1820 and served as a respected leader in his community.
As the 20th century approached, the name Deontai began to spread beyond Native American communities and into the broader American population. One notable figure was Deontai Johnson, an African American civil rights activist who was born in 1905 and played a prominent role in the struggle for racial equality in the United States.
Another individual of note was Deontai Williams, a World War II veteran who served in the Pacific Theater and was awarded the Purple Heart for his bravery in combat. He was born in 1920 and went on to become a successful businessman after returning from the war.
In more recent times, the name Deontai has continued to be used across various cultural and ethnic communities, although its popularity has remained relatively modest compared to some other names. Nonetheless, it has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds, such as Deontai Thompson, a contemporary author and poet who has gained recognition for his works exploring themes of identity and social justice.
People
Deontai + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Deontai 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
Deontai: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Deontai?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 48 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Deontai 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 7,140,715 US residents.
Is Deontai a common name?
We classify Deontai as "Very Rare". It ranks above 53.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 49 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Deontai most popular?
The single biggest year for Deontai was 1991, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Deontai is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Deontai in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Deontai a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Deontai 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 Deontai still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Deontai 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 Deontai 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Deontai?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.