Deshawnte
A name of African American origin meaning "gifted", "talented", or "high-spirited".
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Deshawnte. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Deshawnte today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Deshawnte births was 1992 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Deshawnte. 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 Deshawnte. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
1992
6 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
1998 SSA rank
#8,760
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Deshawnte: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Deshawnte 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 Deshawnte during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12 | 0 | 12 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Deshawnte
The given name Deshawnte is a modern African American name that emerged in the late 20th century. It is a combination of two elements - "De" and "Shawnte". The prefix "De" is believed to be derived from the French word "de" meaning "of" or "from", while the latter part "Shawnte" is a variant spelling of the French name "Chantal".
Chantal is a feminine given name that originated from the Latin name "Cantius", which was derived from the word "cantus" meaning "song" or "chant". The name Chantal gained popularity in France during the Middle Ages and was later adopted by English speakers with variations in spelling, such as Shante, Shaunti, and ultimately, Shawnte.
While Deshawnte does not have a long historical record, it reflects the trend of creating unique and culturally significant names within the African American community. This practice gained momentum during the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s, as African Americans sought to reclaim their cultural identity and express pride in their heritage.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Deshawnte can be found in the United States Social Security Administration's baby name records from the late 1980s. However, the name did not gain widespread popularity until the early 2000s.
Throughout history, there are a few notable individuals who have carried the given name Deshawnte. One such person is Deshawnte Mickens, a former American football defensive back who played for the University of Memphis in the early 2010s. Another is Deshawnte Curie, a former professional basketball player who played in the NBA D-League (now G League) and internationally in the early 2000s.
While the name Deshawnte may not have a long and storied history, it represents the ongoing evolution of African American naming practices and the desire to create unique and culturally significant names that reflect the diverse and vibrant experiences of the community.
People
Deshawnte + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Deshawnte 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
Deshawnte: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Deshawnte?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Deshawnte 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Deshawnte a common name?
We classify Deshawnte as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Deshawnte most popular?
The single biggest year for Deshawnte was 1992, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Deshawnte is about 30 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 Deshawnte in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Deshawnte a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Deshawnte 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.
Is Deshawnte still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Deshawnte 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 Deshawnte 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 share the name Deshawnte?
Find out how many people have the name Deshawnte on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.