Des
A masculine name derived from the Irish word "deas" meaning pleasant or charming.
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Des. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 68.8% of registrations being male. The average person named Des today is around 63 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Des births was 1971 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Des. 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 Des. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
1971
6 babies that year
Average age
63
years old
1971 SSA rank
#4,532
Tracked since 1955
Gender
Gender distribution for Des
Des is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 16 total registrations, 11 (68.8%) were male and 5 (31.3%) were female.
Des as a male name
- Ranked #4,532 in 1971
- 6 male births in 1971
- Peak: 1971 (6 births)
Des as a female name
- Ranked #6,051 in 1955
- 5 female births in 1955
- Peak: 1955 (5 births)
Popularity
Des: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Des from the 1950s through to the 1970s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 10 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1950s peak, Des remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Des 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 Des 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 Des
The name Des is a diminutive form of the French name Desiderius, which means "desired" or "longed for" in Latin. This name has its origins in the Late Roman period, around the 4th to 6th centuries AD. It was a popular name among early Christian communities, particularly in regions like modern-day France, Italy, and Spain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Desiderius dates back to the 8th century, when a Frankish monk and scholar named Desiderius (c. 610-690) served as the abbot of the monastery of Vienne in modern-day France. He is known for his contributions to the field of education and for his efforts in preserving ancient manuscripts.
Another notable figure with the name Desiderius was the last king of the Lombards, who reigned from 757 to 774 AD. He was deposed by Charlemagne, the Frankish king, after a prolonged conflict between the Lombards and the Franks.
In the 11th century, a renowned Italian philosopher and theologian named Desiderius (c. 1027-1087), also known as Peter Damian, made significant contributions to the intellectual discourse of his time. He served as a cardinal and is recognized as a Doctor of the Church by the Catholic Church.
During the Renaissance period, the name gained popularity among the intellectual and artistic circles of Italy. One prominent figure was the Italian humanist Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536), who was a renowned scholar, philosopher, and Catholic priest. He is best known for his influential works on theology, education, and classical literature.
The name Desiderius was also used by several Catholic saints throughout history, including St. Desiderius of Vienne (c. 610-690), St. Desiderius of Auxerre (c. 550-623), and St. Desiderius of Langres (c. 580-670). These individuals were revered for their piety, devotion, and contributions to the Church.
While the name Des is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich historical legacy that spans various cultures and time periods, from its Latin roots to its adoption by prominent figures in the realms of religion, philosophy, and scholarship.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Des
People
Des + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Des 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
Des: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Des?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Des 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 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Des a common name?
We classify Des as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 16 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Des most popular?
The single biggest year for Des was 1971, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Des is about 63 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Des a male name?
Yes, 68.8% of people registered as Des 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.
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.