Deshannon
Archaic Irish name possibly derived from Gaelic elements meaning "grandson" or "grandchild."
Name Census estimates that about 284 living Americans carry the first name Deshannon. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 62.9% of registrations being female. The average person named Deshannon today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Deshannon births was 1977 (35 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Deshannon. 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
284
~ 1 in 1,206,881 Americans
Peak year
1977
35 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
2011 SSA rank
#9,894
Tracked since 1969
Gender
Gender distribution for Deshannon
Deshannon is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 307 total registrations, 114 (37.1%) were male and 193 (62.9%) were female.
Deshannon as a male name
- Ranked #9,894 in 2011
- 7 male births in 2011
- Peak: 1976 (12 births)
Deshannon as a female name
- Ranked #14,016 in 1994
- 5 female births in 1994
- Peak: 1977 (25 births)
Popularity
Deshannon: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Deshannon from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 196 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Deshannon 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 Deshannon during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Deshannons live
Origin
Meaning and history of Deshannon
The given name Deshannon has its origins in the Celtic languages, specifically derived from the Old Irish Gaelic words "deas" meaning "south" and "annon" meaning "valley". It is believed to have been a place name referring to a southern valley or region in ancient Ireland, possibly dating back to the 5th or 6th century AD.
In the early medieval period, personal names were often derived from place names, and Deshannon likely began as a surname or clan name before eventually being adopted as a given name. The earliest recorded use of Deshannon as a personal name is found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it is mentioned as the name of a minor clan chieftain in the year 879 AD.
While not a particularly common name, Deshannon has been used throughout Irish history, often by those with ties to the southern regions of the island. One notable figure was Deshannon Ua Briain (1022-1084), a warrior and leader of the Dál gCais clan who played a significant role in the military campaigns of the High King of Ireland, Brian Boru.
In the 13th century, there is record of a Deshannon Ó Conchobhair (1210-1275), a Gaelic scholar and scribe who is credited with transcribing several important medieval Irish manuscripts. Another historical figure was Deshannon Mac Diarmada (1560-1626), a poet and bard who composed works in both Irish and Latin during the Elizabethan era.
Moving into more recent times, Deshannon O'Malley (1785-1842) was an Irish revolutionary who participated in the 1798 Rebellion against British rule. And in the 20th century, Deshannon Fitzpatrick (1912-1998) was a renowned Irish historian and author who wrote extensively on the country's medieval past.
While not a common name in modern times, Deshannon retains its Celtic roots and historical significance, particularly in Ireland and among those of Irish descent.
People
Deshannon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Deshannon 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
Deshannon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Deshannon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 284 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Deshannon 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 1,206,881 US residents.
Is Deshannon a common name?
We classify Deshannon as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 307 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Deshannon most popular?
The single biggest year for Deshannon was 1977, when 35 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Deshannon is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Deshannon a female name?
Yes, 62.9% of people registered as Deshannon 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.