Devel
A masculine given name likely derived from the French surname Deville.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Devel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Devel today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Devel births was 1983 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Devel. 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 Devel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1983
5 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
1983 SSA rank
#6,490
Tracked since 1983
Popularity
Devel: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Devel 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 Devel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Devel
The given name Devel originates from the Old French language, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "diabolus," which means "devil" or "evil spirit." This association with the darker realms of existence has given the name a somewhat ominous and foreboding connotation throughout history.
One of the earliest known references to the name Devel can be found in the medieval French epic poem "La Chanson de Roland," which recounts the legendary Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778 AD. In this literary work, Devel is portrayed as a powerful and malevolent sorcerer who aids the Saracen forces against the Christian army of Charlemagne.
During the Renaissance period, the name Devel gained notoriety due to its association with occult practices and witchcraft. In 1486, a man named Devel de la Motte was accused of sorcery and executed during the infamous Witch Trials of Arras, France. This event further solidified the name's connection to the supernatural and the perceived forces of evil in the popular imagination.
Despite its ominous origins, the name Devel has been borne by several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Devel de Montfort (1180-1265), a French nobleman and military leader who played a prominent role in the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics in southern France.
In the realm of literature, Devel Gris (1570-1635) was a French poet and playwright of the Baroque period, renowned for his satirical works that often criticized the excesses of the Catholic Church and the aristocracy.
Another individual of historical significance was Devel Blaise (1640-1718), a French mathematician and philosopher who made significant contributions to the development of probability theory and the calculus of indivisibles.
During the 19th century, Devel Baudelaire (1821-1867), a French poet and critic, gained fame for his works that explored themes of decadence, eroticism, and the darker aspects of human nature. His influential poetry collection, "Les Fleurs du Mal" (The Flowers of Evil), remains a seminal work of the Symbolist movement.
In the field of art, Devel Redon (1840-1916) was a French symbolist painter and printmaker known for his enigmatic and dreamlike compositions, often featuring fantastical creatures and haunting imagery.
People
Devel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Devel 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
Devel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Devel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Devel 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 Devel a common name?
We classify Devel 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 Devel most popular?
The single biggest year for Devel was 1983, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Devel is about 41 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 Devel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Devel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Devel 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 Devel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Devel 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 Devel 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 Americans are named Devel?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.