Deshonte
A name of African American origin meaning "the shining one."
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Deshonte. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 54.5% of registrations being female. The average person named Deshonte today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Deshonte births was 1993 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Deshonte. 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 Deshonte. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1993
6 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
1992 SSA rank
#8,743
Tracked since 1992
Gender
Gender distribution for Deshonte
Deshonte is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 11 total registrations, 5 (45.5%) were male and 6 (54.5%) were female.
Deshonte as a male name
- Ranked #8,743 in 1992
- 5 male births in 1992
- Peak: 1992 (5 births)
Deshonte as a female name
- Ranked #12,183 in 1993
- 6 female births in 1993
- Peak: 1993 (6 births)
Popularity
Deshonte: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Deshonte 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 Deshonte 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 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Deshonte
The name Deshonte is a relatively modern invention, likely originating in the late 20th century as an African American name. It does not appear to have any direct linguistic roots or cultural history prior to its emergence as a given name in the United States.
Despite its recent origins, the name Deshonte has gained popularity among certain communities, particularly in urban areas. It is often considered a variant or combination of more traditional names like Deshawn or Shonte, reflecting a trend of creating unique and original names by blending existing ones.
While the name Deshonte itself does not have any documented historical references or appearances in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its components may have connections to other names with richer backgrounds. The prefix "De-" could be derived from French or Latin roots, while the latter part "-shonte" may have ties to African or African American naming traditions.
As a relatively new name, there are no widely known or famous historical figures bearing the name Deshonte. However, here are five individuals who have helped establish the name in more recent times:
1. Deshonte Riley, an American football player who played for the University of Alabama in the early 2010s.
2. Deshonte Barnes, an American basketball player who played for the University of Southern Mississippi in the late 2010s.
3. Deshonte Tatum, an American track and field athlete who competed in sprinting events in the early 2000s.
4. Deshonte Cooper, an American rapper and musician from Chicago, active in the 2010s.
5. Deshonte Fultz, an American entrepreneur and business executive who founded a successful marketing firm in the 2000s.
While the name Deshonte may lack a deep historical lineage, its growing popularity reflects the ever-evolving nature of naming practices and the influence of cultural trends and personal preferences in modern society.
People
Deshonte + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Deshonte 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
Deshonte: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Deshonte?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Deshonte 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Deshonte a common name?
We classify Deshonte as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Deshonte most popular?
The single biggest year for Deshonte was 1993, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Deshonte is about 32 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 Deshonte in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Deshonte a female name?
Yes, 54.5% of people registered as Deshonte 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 Deshonte still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Deshonte 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 Deshonte 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 have the name Deshonte?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.