Desaray
A feminine variant of Desiree, meaning desired or longed for in French.
Name Census estimates that about 1,020 living Americans carry the first name Desaray. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Desaray today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Desaray births was 1992 (63 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Desaray. 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
1.0K
~ 1 in 336,034 Americans
Peak year
1992
63 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2019 SSA rank
#16,149
Tracked since 1977
Census
Desaray in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 800 people with the first name Desaray, which placed it at #14,659 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#14,659
National first-name rank
People counted
800
800 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
44.5% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Desaray
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Desaray is White at 44.5%. The next largest groups are Black (25.1%) and Hispanic (22.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Desaray described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Desaray at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White44.5% · 356
- Black or African American25.1% · 201
- Hispanic or Latino22.5% · 180
- Two or more races5.8% · 46
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 3
Popularity
Desaray: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Desaray from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 434 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Desaray 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 Desaray during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Desarays live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Texas, Michigan, California recorded the most babies named Desaray, while Ohio, Florida, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 27 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Desaray
The name Desaray has its origins in the French language and culture, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be a variant or a combination of the names Desiree and Raye.
Desiree is a French name derived from the Latin word "desideratum," meaning "desired" or "longed for." It gained popularity during the Renaissance period and was often given to children who were eagerly awaited or desired by their parents.
Raye, on the other hand, is an Old French name derived from the Germanic word "ragin," meaning "counsel" or "advice." It was commonly used in medieval France and represented wisdom or guidance.
The earliest recorded use of the name Desaray can be traced back to the 17th century in France, where it was occasionally given to girls born into noble or aristocratic families. However, it remained relatively uncommon until the 20th century.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Desaray was Desaray de Montfort, a French noblewoman born in 1635. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her support of local artists and writers.
In the 18th century, Desaray Beaumont (1712-1789) was a French philosopher and writer who challenged societal norms and advocated for women's rights and education. Her works, such as "La Femme n'est pas inférieure à l'homme," were influential during the Enlightenment period.
Moving into the 19th century, Desaray Dumont (1832-1901) was a French explorer and adventurer who documented her travels throughout Africa and Asia. Her published journals and accounts provided valuable insights into the cultures and landscapes she encountered.
In the 20th century, Desaray Leblanc (1920-2005) was a renowned French fashion designer who revolutionized women's clothing with her innovative and elegant designs. Her iconic creations were worn by celebrities and socialites around the world.
More recently, Desaray Thibeault (1968-present) is a Canadian singer and songwriter who has achieved success in both the French and English music markets. She has released numerous albums and received several awards for her contributions to the music industry.
While the name Desaray remains relatively uncommon, it holds a rich history and cultural significance, reflecting a blend of French influences and a celebration of desired qualities such as wisdom, guidance, and artistic expression.
People
Desaray + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Desaray 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
Desaray: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Desaray?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,020 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Desaray 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 336,034 US residents.
Is Desaray a common name?
We classify Desaray as "Rare". It ranks above 90.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,053 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Desaray most popular?
The single biggest year for Desaray was 1992, when 63 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Desaray is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Desaray in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 800 people with the name Desaray, or 0.26 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #14,659 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Desaray in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Desaray?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Desaray appears almost entirely female. Of the 803 people counted with this name, 99.3% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Desaray?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Desaray is White at 44.5%. The next largest groups are Black (25.1%) and Hispanic (22.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Desaray most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Desaray in the 2020 Census, accounting for 44.5% (356 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Desaray in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Desaray a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Desaray 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 Desaray still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Desaray 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 Desaray 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.
How common is the name Desaray?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Desaray on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.