Dessalines
A masculine given name of Haitian origin, meaning "extraordinary courage".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Dessalines. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dessalines today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dessalines births was 2022 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dessalines. 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 Dessalines. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2022
5 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2022 SSA rank
#12,805
Tracked since 2022
Popularity
Dessalines: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Dessalines 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 Dessalines during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Dessalines
The name Dessalines originates from the Caribbean island nation of Haiti, having its roots in the French language and the time period of the late 18th century. It is closely associated with the Haitian Revolution, one of the most significant revolutions in history, which led to the establishment of Haiti as an independent nation.
Dessalines was the surname of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, a key leader in the Haitian Revolution and the first ruler of the independent nation of Haiti. Born around 1758, Dessalines played a pivotal role in the successful struggle against French colonial rule, becoming the first ruler of Haiti after its independence in 1804.
The name Dessalines itself is believed to have originated from a French word or phrase, potentially related to the word "dessaler," which means "to desalinate" or "to remove salt." However, the exact etymology and meaning behind the name remain uncertain, as it may have been adapted from a different language or have a more complex origin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dessalines in history is associated with Jean-Jacques Dessalines himself, who was a prominent figure in the Haitian Revolution. As the first ruler of independent Haiti, he adopted the title of "Emperor Jacques I" and worked to establish the foundations of the new nation.
Apart from Jean-Jacques Dessalines, other notable individuals who bore the name Dessalines throughout history include:
1. Marie-Claire Heureuse Dessalines (1781-1858), the wife of Jean-Jacques Dessalines and the first Empress of Haiti.
2. Jean-Jacques Dessalines II (1806-1835), the son of Jean-Jacques Dessalines and a short-lived Emperor of Haiti.
3. Faustin Soulouque (1782-1867), a former slave who later became the Emperor of Haiti, taking the name Faustin I, and claimed descent from Jean-Jacques Dessalines.
4. Philogène Dessalines (1887-1969), a Haitian writer and essayist who wrote extensively about Haitian history and culture.
5. Jean-Jacques Dessalines Ambroise (1834-1898), a Haitian politician and military leader who served as President of Haiti from 1867 to 1869.
The name Dessalines holds a significant place in Haitian history and culture, serving as a powerful symbol of the country's struggle for independence and the legacy of its revolutionary leaders.
People
Dessalines + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dessalines 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
Dessalines: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dessalines?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dessalines 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Dessalines a common name?
We classify Dessalines as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dessalines most popular?
The single biggest year for Dessalines was 2022, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dessalines is about 4 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 Dessalines in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dessalines a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dessalines 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 Dessalines still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dessalines 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 Dessalines 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 are called Dessalines?
Want to know how many people have the name Dessalines? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.