Diahann
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "divine vision" or "heavenly beauty".
Name Census estimates that about 294 living Americans carry the first name Diahann. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Diahann today is around 59 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Diahann births was 1969 (50 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Diahann. 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.
People living today
294
~ 1 in 1,165,831 Americans
Peak year
1969
50 babies that year
Average age
59
years old
1986 SSA rank
#8,783
Tracked since 1948
Popularity
Diahann: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Diahann from the 1940s through to the 1980s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 181 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Diahann 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 Diahann during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Diahanns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. New York, California, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Diahann, while Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Diahann
The name Diahann is a relatively modern name, likely created in the 20th century as a unique spelling variation of the name Diana. It does not have a clear linguistic origin in any particular language or culture.
Diana is a name derived from the Roman goddess of the hunt, the moon, and childbirth. The name comes from the Old Latin word "dius" meaning "divine" or "heavenly." The goddess Diana was one of the most widely venerated deities in ancient Roman religion and mythology.
While the name Diana has deep roots in classical antiquity, the variant spelling Diahann first appeared in the mid-20th century. It is believed to have been created as a more distinctive and stylized version of the traditional name.
One of the earliest and most notable individuals with the name Diahann was the American actress and singer Diahann Carroll, born in 1935. Carroll was a pioneering African-American entertainer who starred in numerous films, television shows, and on Broadway. She was the first black woman to star in a non-stereotypical role in a television series with her lead role in the sitcom "Julia" in 1968.
Another prominent individual with the name Diahann was Diahann Abbott, an American politician who served as the first African-American woman to be elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1993.
In the field of literature, Diahann N. Brill-Jackson is a renowned American author and educator who has written several books on African-American history and culture.
Diahann Billings-Burford is a British businesswoman and CEO of the cultural engagement organization ROSE (Reconciliation of Oppressive Situations through Education).
Diahann Lassus is a Canadian financial planner and author who has written extensively on personal finance and investment strategies.
While the name Diahann gained some popularity in the latter half of the 20th century, it remains a relatively uncommon name compared to more traditional spellings like Diana. However, its unique and distinctive spelling has allowed it to stand out as a modern and stylish variation of a classic name with deep historical roots.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Diahann
People
Diahann + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Diahann 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
Diahann: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Diahann?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 294 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Diahann 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 1,165,831 US residents.
Is Diahann a common name?
We classify Diahann as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 354 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Diahann most popular?
The single biggest year for Diahann was 1969, when 50 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Diahann is about 59 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Diahann a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Diahann 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.
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.