Deontee
A masculine name of African American origin meaning "gift from God".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Deontee. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Deontee today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Deontee births was 1992 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Deontee. 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 Deontee. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1992
6 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
1992 SSA rank
#7,687
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Deontee: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Deontee 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 Deontee during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Deontee
The name Deontee is believed to have its origins in the Yoruba language, spoken primarily in West Africa, particularly in modern-day Nigeria. The name is thought to derive from the Yoruba phrase "Deon ti e," which loosely translates to "the one who brings happiness" or "the joyful one."
In the 16th and 17th centuries, during the transatlantic slave trade, many Yoruba people were forcibly taken from their homeland and brought to the Americas. It is likely that the name Deontee was carried across the Atlantic by these individuals, preserving a part of their cultural heritage and language.
While there are no definitive records of the name appearing in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its Yoruba roots suggest a long history rooted in the rich traditions of West African culture. The earliest documented instances of the name Deontee can be traced back to the late 18th century in various slave records and plantation documents from the American South.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Deontee was Deontee Williams, a former slave who was born around 1790 in South Carolina. After gaining his freedom, he became a prominent figure in the abolitionist movement, working tirelessly to end slavery and advocating for the rights of African Americans.
Another notable figure with the name Deontee was Deontee Jackson (1832-1904), a renowned educator and civil rights activist from Mississippi. Jackson established several schools for African American children during the post-Civil War era, providing education opportunities that were often denied to them.
In the 20th century, Deontee Robinson (1923-2001) made his mark as a celebrated jazz musician and composer. Born in New Orleans, Robinson's unique blend of traditional jazz and contemporary styles earned him widespread acclaim and a place in the annals of American music history.
Deontee Hawkins (1947-2018) was a pioneering athlete who broke barriers as one of the first African American players in the National Hockey League. Despite facing numerous challenges and discrimination, Hawkins persevered and paved the way for future generations of diverse players in professional sports.
More recently, Deontee Johnson (born 1982) has gained recognition as a accomplished author and poet. Her works explore themes of identity, resilience, and the African American experience, earning her numerous literary awards and critical acclaim.
While the name Deontee may not be as widely recognized as some others, its rich history and cultural significance make it a unique and meaningful name, carrying the echoes of resilience, joy, and the enduring spirit of the Yoruba people.
People
Deontee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Deontee 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
Deontee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Deontee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Deontee 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Deontee a common name?
We classify Deontee as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Deontee most popular?
The single biggest year for Deontee was 1992, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Deontee is about 33 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 Deontee in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Deontee a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Deontee 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 Deontee still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Deontee 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 Deontee 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 people share the name Deontee?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.