Dheeran
A masculine Indian name meaning "brave", "valiant", or "courageous".
Name Census estimates that about 147 living Americans carry the first name Dheeran. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dheeran today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dheeran births was 2023 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dheeran. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Dheeran with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
147
~ 1 in 2,331,662 Americans
Peak year
2023
27 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,336
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Dheeran: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dheeran from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 95 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dheeran 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 Dheeran during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dheerans live
Origin
Meaning and history of Dheeran
The name Dheeran originates from the Tamil language, which is spoken predominantly in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the northern provinces of Sri Lanka. It is derived from the Tamil word "dheer," which means brave, courageous, or valiant. The name can be traced back to ancient Tamil literature and folklore, where it was often used to describe heroic figures and warriors.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dheeran can be found in the Tamil epic Silappadikaram, written by the renowned poet Ilango Adigal sometime between the 5th and 8th centuries CE. In this epic, there is a character named Dheeran, who is portrayed as a brave and noble warrior. This reference suggests that the name has been in use for at least a millennium.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Dheeran. One of the most famous is Dheeran Chinnamalai (1756-1805), a renowned Tamil warrior and military leader who fought against the British East India Company during the late 18th century. He is revered as a patriot and freedom fighter in Tamil Nadu and is celebrated for his bravery and resistance against colonial rule.
Another prominent figure with the name Dheeran is Dheeran Naicker (1850-1890), a social reformer and activist from the Naicker community in Tamil Nadu. He campaigned against the discriminatory practices of the British colonial government and worked towards uplifting the marginalized communities in the region.
In the field of literature, Dheeran Aadhichunchanallur (1920-1975) was a celebrated Tamil poet and writer. He was known for his works that explored themes of social justice, human rights, and Tamil culture. His poetry and writings played a significant role in shaping the Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu.
Dheeran Chinnaswami (1936-2020) was a prominent Tamil scholar and author who made significant contributions to the study of Tamil literature and culture. He authored numerous books and articles on various aspects of Tamil heritage and played a crucial role in preserving and promoting the Tamil language and its rich literary traditions.
Dheeran Gopalakrishnan (1939-2022) was a renowned Indian classical musician and Carnatic vocalist. He was widely acclaimed for his extensive knowledge of Carnatic music and his exceptional vocal skills. He received numerous awards and honors, including the prestigious Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian honors in India.
People
Dheeran + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dheeran 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
Dheeran: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dheeran?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 147 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dheeran 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 2,331,662 US residents.
Is Dheeran a common name?
We classify Dheeran as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 148 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dheeran most popular?
The single biggest year for Dheeran was 2023, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dheeran is about 6 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 Dheeran in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dheeran a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dheeran 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 Dheeran still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dheeran 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 Dheeran 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 share the name Dheeran?
You can see how many Americans are named Dheeran on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.