Dreux
A French masculine name derived from the place name Dreux, originally meaning "oak tree".
Name Census estimates that about 333 living Americans carry the first name Dreux. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 83.5% of registrations being male. The average person named Dreux today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dreux births was 2021 (50 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dreux. 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
333
~ 1 in 1,029,292 Americans
Peak year
2021
50 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,447
Tracked since 1956
Gender
Gender distribution for Dreux
Dreux leans heavily male at 83.5% of total registrations, but 57 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Dreux as a male name
- Ranked #4,447 in 2024
- 23 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (36 births)
Dreux as a female name
- Ranked #8,558 in 2024
- 12 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (14 births)
Popularity
Dreux: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dreux from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 174 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
Dreux 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 Dreux during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dreux' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Dreux
The name Dreux originates from the French language and has its roots in the town of Dreux, located in the northern region of France. The town's name is believed to be derived from the Gaulish word "Durocasses," meaning "dwellers by the water," referring to the area's location near the Blaise River.
In the Middle Ages, the town of Dreux played a significant role in French history, serving as the seat of the powerful Counts of Dreux, a noble family descended from the Capetian dynasty that ruled over large parts of northern France. The name Dreux gained prominence during this period, particularly among the ruling class and aristocracy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dreux can be found in the life of Robert I, Count of Dreux, who lived from around 1123 to 1188. He was a prominent figure in the Crusades and participated in the Third Crusade alongside King Richard I of England and King Philip II of France.
Another notable figure bearing the name Dreux was Peter of Dreux, who lived from 1190 to 1234. He was a French nobleman and the youngest son of Robert II, Count of Dreux. Peter served as the Duke of Brittany through his marriage to Alix, the hereditary Duchess of Brittany.
In the 14th century, John II, Count of Dreux, lived from around 1305 to 1345. He was a prominent military leader during the Hundred Years' War and fought alongside King Philip VI of France against the English forces.
In the realm of literature, the name Dreux appears in the writings of the renowned French author and poet François Villon, who lived from 1431 to 1463. In his famous work "Le Testament," Villon mentions a character named Dreux Raguier, though little is known about the historical accuracy of this reference.
Another notable figure bearing the name Dreux was Louis de Dreux (1505-1564), a French prelate who served as the Bishop of Évreux and later the Bishop of Maillezais. He played a significant role in the religious struggles and conflicts during the French Wars of Religion in the 16th century.
These are just a few examples of historical figures who bore the name Dreux, reflecting its deep roots in French history, culture, and nobility. The name's origins can be traced back to the Gaulish language and the town of Dreux, which has played a significant role in the country's past.
People
Dreux + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dreux 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
Dreux: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dreux?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 333 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dreux 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 1,029,292 US residents.
Is Dreux a common name?
We classify Dreux as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 346 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dreux most popular?
The single biggest year for Dreux was 2021, when 50 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dreux is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dreux a male name?
Yes, 83.5% of people registered as Dreux 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.
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.