Deshun
A masculine name of uncertain origin, potentially from a blend of "Desiree" and "Shawn".
Name Census estimates that about 1,305 living Americans carry the first name Deshun. It is a predominantly male name (97.0% of registrations). The average person named Deshun today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Deshun births was 1994 (50 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Deshun. 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
1.3K
~ 1 in 262,647 Americans
Peak year
1994
50 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,960
Tracked since 1969
Gender
Gender distribution for Deshun
Deshun leans heavily male at 97.0% of total registrations, but 40 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Deshun as a male name
- Ranked #5,960 in 2024
- 15 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1994 (50 births)
Deshun as a female name
- Ranked #11,780 in 1987
- 5 female births in 1987
- Peak: 1970 (8 births)
Popularity
Deshun: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Deshun from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 376 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
Deshun 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 Deshun during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Deshuns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. Tennessee, Texas, Georgia recorded the most babies named Deshun, while Louisiana, California, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 45 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Deshun
The name Deshun is a modern variation of the French name Deshon, which is believed to have originated from the medieval French word "dechez," meaning "noble" or "distinguished." This name was commonly used during the Middle Ages in certain regions of France.
Deshun is a relatively new name, and its origins can be traced back to the late 20th century. It gained popularity in some African American communities in the United States, particularly in urban areas, as a unique and culturally-inspired name.
While there are no significant historical references or ancient texts mentioning the name Deshun specifically, its roots in the French word "dechez" suggest a connection to the nobility and aristocracy of medieval France.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Deshun are from the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States. However, it was not until the 1990s and early 2000s that the name gained more widespread recognition and usage.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals with the name Deshun:
1. Deshun Samuel (born 1994) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA.
2. Deshun Williams (born 1987) is a former American football wide receiver who played for several teams in the NFL, including the Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints.
3. Deshun Martin (born 1991) is an American singer and songwriter known for his work in the genres of R&B and neo-soul.
4. Deshun Jackson (born 1988) is an American actor and filmmaker who has appeared in several independent films and TV shows.
5. Deshun Thompson (born 1995) is a former American college basketball player who played for the University of Michigan and was a standout player during his college career.
While the name Deshun is relatively modern, its roots can be traced back to medieval France, and it has gained popularity in recent decades, particularly within certain cultural communities in the United States.
People
Deshun + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Deshun 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
Deshun: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Deshun?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,305 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Deshun 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 262,647 US residents.
Is Deshun a common name?
We classify Deshun as "Rare". It ranks above 91.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,342 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Deshun most popular?
The single biggest year for Deshun was 1994, when 50 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Deshun is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Deshun a male name?
Yes, 97.0% of people registered as Deshun 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.