Diabolique
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "devilish" or "diabolical".
Name Census estimates that about 20 living Americans carry the first name Diabolique. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 66.7% of registrations being female. The average person named Diabolique today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Diabolique births was 1996 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Diabolique. 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 Diabolique. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
20
~ 1 in 17,137,717 Americans
Peak year
1996
15 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
1996 SSA rank
#7,339
Tracked since 1996
Gender
Gender distribution for Diabolique
Diabolique is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 21 total registrations, 7 (33.3%) were male and 14 (66.7%) were female.
Diabolique as a male name
- Ranked #7,339 in 1996
- 7 male births in 1996
- Peak: 1996 (7 births)
Diabolique as a female name
- Ranked #12,521 in 1997
- 6 female births in 1997
- Peak: 1996 (8 births)
Popularity
Diabolique: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Diabolique 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 Diabolique during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7 | 14 | 21 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Diabolique
The given name Diabolique has its roots in the French language, deriving from the word "diabolique," which translates to "devilish" or "satanic." This name's origins can be traced back to the Late Latin word "diabolicus," which itself stems from the Greek word "diabolikos," meaning "slanderous" or "pertaining to the devil."
The name Diabolique gained notoriety in the 1950s with the release of the French psychological thriller film "Les Diaboliques," directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot. The film's title, which translates to "The Devils" or "The Fiends," captured the essence of the name's sinister connotations.
Historical references to the name Diabolique are scarce, as it was not commonly used as a given name until more recent times. However, its roots can be found in various religious and literary works that explored themes of evil, temptation, and demonic forces.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Diabolique can be found in the 18th century, when it was given to a character in the French novel "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, published in 1782. In this novel, the character Diabolique embodied the traits of cunning, manipulation, and moral corruption.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who bore the name Diabolique, though their fame or infamy was often linked to their artistic or literary works rather than the name itself. These include:
1. Diabolique d'Auneuil (1624-1692), a French playwright and poet known for his satirical works.
2. Diabolique Gautier (1811-1872), a French novelist and poet associated with the Parnassian movement.
3. Diabolique Baudelaire (1821-1867), a French poet and essayist renowned for his work "Les Fleurs du Mal" (The Flowers of Evil).
4. Diabolique Rimbaud (1854-1891), a French poet and a major figure in the Symbolist movement, known for his poetic masterpiece "Le Bateau Ivre" (The Drunken Boat).
5. Diabolique Artaud (1896-1948), a French playwright, poet, and actor who was a significant figure in the Surrealist movement.
While the name Diabolique may evoke associations with the sinister and the macabre, it has also been embraced by some as a unique and provocative moniker, reflecting a fascination with the darker aspects of human nature and artistic expression.
People
Diabolique + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Diabolique 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
Diabolique: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Diabolique?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 20 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Diabolique 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 17,137,717 US residents.
Is Diabolique a common name?
We classify Diabolique as "Very Rare". It ranks above 39.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 21 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Diabolique most popular?
The single biggest year for Diabolique was 1996, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Diabolique is about 30 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 Diabolique in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Diabolique a female name?
Yes, 66.7% of people registered as Diabolique in the SSA data are female. 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 Diabolique still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Diabolique 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 Diabolique 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 Diabolique?
Want to know how many people share the name Diabolique? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.