Dereona
A feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially a blend of Dere and Rhona.
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the first name Dereona. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Dereona today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dereona births was 2009 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dereona. 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
123
~ 1 in 2,786,621 Americans
Peak year
2009
31 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2013 SSA rank
#15,112
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Dereona: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dereona from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 63 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dereona 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 Dereona 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 Dereona
The given name Dereona has its origins traced back to the ancient Etruscan civilization that flourished in what is now modern-day Italy. It is believed to be derived from the Etruscan word "Deru," which means "oak tree," and the suffix "-ona," signifying a diminutive form. Thus, the name Dereona can be interpreted as "little oak tree."
The earliest recorded instances of the name Dereona date back to the 6th century BCE, found in Etruscan funerary inscriptions and records of the time. It is thought that the name held symbolic significance, representing strength, resilience, and longevity, much like the sturdy oak tree.
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name Dereona was an Etruscan noblewoman who lived in the 5th century BCE. She was renowned for her patronage of the arts and her influence in the cultural affairs of the time. Unfortunately, much of her life remains shrouded in mystery due to the scarcity of records from that era.
In the 2nd century CE, a Roman poet named Dereona gained recognition for her lyrical compositions celebrating the beauty of nature and the changing seasons. Some of her works have survived through ancient manuscripts, providing a glimpse into her poetic talent.
During the Renaissance period, a Florentine artist named Dereona (1475-1542) gained acclaim for her exquisite frescoes adorning the walls of various churches and palaces in Italy. Her masterful use of color and attention to detail earned her commissions from prestigious patrons of the time.
Another notable figure bearing the name Dereona was a 17th-century Italian scholar and botanist (1620-1689) who made significant contributions to the study of plant life. Her extensive research and meticulous documentation of flora species helped advance the field of botany during that era.
In the realm of literature, a French novelist named Dereona (1785-1842) gained recognition for her captivating historical fiction novels that vividly portrayed the lives and struggles of ordinary people during the French Revolution.
While the name Dereona may not be as common today as it once was, its rich historical roots and symbolic connections to the ancient Etruscan culture make it a unique and intriguing choice for those seeking a name with a deep sense of heritage and meaning.
People
Dereona + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dereona 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
Dereona: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dereona?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 123 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dereona 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 2,786,621 US residents.
Is Dereona a common name?
We classify Dereona as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 124 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dereona most popular?
The single biggest year for Dereona was 2009, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dereona is about 16 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 Dereona in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dereona a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dereona 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.
Is Dereona still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dereona 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 Dereona 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 have Dereona as a first name?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.