Deverne
A variant of the Irish name Dabhoran meaning "descendant of Dabhoran".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Deverne. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Deverne today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Deverne births was 1925 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Deverne. 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
- • The typical person named Deverne is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Devernes were born before 1956.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Deverne. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1925
6 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1953 SSA rank
#3,520
Tracked since 1925
Popularity
Deverne: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Deverne from the 1920s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 11 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1930s peak, Deverne remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Deverne 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 Deverne during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Deverne
The name Deverne has its origins in the ancient Celtic language and culture. It is believed to have originated around the 5th century CE in the region that is now known as modern-day Ireland and parts of Scotland. Deverne is derived from the Celtic words "dev" meaning "poet" and "ern" meaning "iron" or "strong." Thus, the name Deverne can be interpreted as "strong poet" or "iron poet."
In the early Middle Ages, the name Deverne was relatively common among Celtic bards and storytellers, who were revered for their ability to preserve and pass down oral traditions and histories through their poetry and songs. The name was associated with a strong command of language and a dedication to the preservation of cultural heritage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Deverne can be found in the 8th-century Irish epic poem "The Cattle Raid of Cooley" (Táin Bó Cúailnge), where a minor character named Deverne is mentioned as a skilled poet and storyteller. This suggests that the name was in use among the Celtic peoples at least as early as the 8th century CE.
Throughout the Middle Ages, several notable individuals bore the name Deverne. One such person was Deverne of Anglesey (c. 1020-1090), a Welsh poet and bard who was renowned for his intricate poetic works and his mastery of the Welsh language. Another notable figure was Deverne the Scribe (c. 1150-1220), an Irish monk who was responsible for transcribing and preserving numerous ancient Celtic manuscripts and texts.
In the late medieval period, the name Deverne began to decline in popularity, likely due to the gradual decline of the Celtic bardic tradition and the rise of Christianity. However, it continued to be used sporadically throughout the centuries.
One of the more recent historical figures to bear the name Deverne was Deverne O'Reilly (1865-1938), an Irish poet and playwright who played a significant role in the Irish literary revival of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His works celebrated the rich cultural heritage of Ireland and helped to reignite interest in the country's ancient Celtic traditions.
Despite its historical significance, the name Deverne is relatively uncommon in modern times, though it is still occasionally used in parts of Ireland, Scotland, and Welsh-speaking regions of Britain.
People
Deverne + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Deverne 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
Deverne: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Deverne?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Deverne 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Deverne a common name?
We classify Deverne as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 29 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Deverne most popular?
The single biggest year for Deverne was 1925, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Deverne is about 80 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 Deverne in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Deverne a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Deverne 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 Deverne still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Deverne 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 Deverne 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 named Deverne?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Deverne at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.