Deronda
Of uncertain origin but possibly derived from Greek "derondes," meaning "the wanderer."
Name Census estimates that about 281 living Americans carry the first name Deronda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Deronda today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Deronda births was 1962 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Deronda. 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
281
~ 1 in 1,219,766 Americans
Peak year
1962
25 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
1981 SSA rank
#10,823
Tracked since 1934
Popularity
Deronda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Deronda from the 1930s through to the 1980s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 144 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Deronda 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 Deronda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Derondas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Deronda
The name Deronda is believed to have its origins in the fictional novel "Daniel Deronda" by George Eliot, published in 1876. The character's first name, Daniel, is of Hebrew origin, meaning "God is my judge." However, the name Deronda itself does not have any clear linguistic roots or connections to specific cultures or languages.
While the name Deronda does not have a long historical lineage, it has been adopted as a given name in various parts of the world, likely influenced by the popularity of George Eliot's novel and its protagonist. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Deronda was Deronda Beattie, a British actress born in 1888 and known for her roles in silent films during the early 20th century.
Another notable figure with the name Deronda was Deronda Lesesne, an American politician and lawyer from South Carolina, who served as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives in the early 1900s. Deronda Emily Rae, born in 1961, is a Canadian author and educator known for her contributions to children's literature and her advocacy for Indigenous education.
In the field of music, Deronda Rochelle Henderson, an American singer and songwriter, gained recognition for her work in the 1980s and 1990s, recording several albums and collaborating with various artists. Additionally, Deronda Kaye Marye, an American opera singer and music educator, has performed with opera companies across the United States and taught voice at several universities.
While the name Deronda may not have deep historical roots or widespread usage, it has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions over the past century, likely inspired by the literary work that introduced the name to the world.
People
Deronda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Deronda 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
Deronda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Deronda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 281 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Deronda 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 1,219,766 US residents.
Is Deronda a common name?
We classify Deronda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 387 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Deronda most popular?
The single biggest year for Deronda was 1962, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Deronda is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Deronda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Deronda 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.
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.