Diablo
Of Spanish origin, meaning "devil" or "diabolical one".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Diablo. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Diablo today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Diablo births was 1975 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Diablo. 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 Diablo. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1975
5 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
1975 SSA rank
#5,680
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Diablo: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Diablo 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 Diablo during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Diablo
The name Diablo originates from the Spanish language, derived from the Latin word "diabolus," which means "devil" or "evil spirit." The roots of this word can be traced back to ancient Greek, where "diabolos" meant "slanderer" or "accuser."
While the name itself does not have a positive connotation, it has been used throughout history, although not extensively. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Diablo can be found in the 16th-century Spanish novel "El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha" by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, where a character is referred to as "El Diablo Cojuelo" (The Lame Devil).
In the realm of literature, Diablo has also been used as a character name in various works, including the 1824 short story "El Diablo Mundo" by José de Espronceda, and the 1856 novel "El Diablo Cojuelo" by Luis Vélez de Guevara.
One notable historical figure with the name Diablo was Diablo Cojuelo, a 17th-century Spanish actor and comedian known for his satirical plays and performances. Another individual was Diablo Verde, a 19th-century Mexican revolutionary and bandit who fought against the French intervention in Mexico.
In the world of sports, Diablo Amarillo (Yellow Devil) was the nickname given to the Mexican boxer José Ángel Espinoza, who was born in 1935 and had a successful professional career in the 1960s and 1970s.
Additionally, Diablo Rojo (Red Devil) was the moniker of Miguel Torres, a Mexican professional wrestler who competed in the 1970s and 1980s. He was known for his fiery red mask and intense in-ring persona.
While the name Diablo may have negative connotations, it has been used throughout history, predominantly in Spanish-speaking cultures, as a literary device, a nickname, or even as a given name, although its usage has been relatively limited compared to more common names.
People
Diablo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Diablo 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
Diablo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Diablo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Diablo 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 Diablo a common name?
We classify Diablo 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 Diablo most popular?
The single biggest year for Diablo was 1975, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Diablo is about 47 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 Diablo in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Diablo a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Diablo 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 Diablo still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Diablo 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 Diablo 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 Diablo?
You can see how many people share the name Diablo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.