Duey
A diminutive form of the name Dewey, of English origin meaning "dewy" or "cherished one".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Duey. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Duey today is around 84 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Duey births was 1918 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Duey. 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
- • The typical person named Duey is about 84 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Dueys were born before 1952.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Duey. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1918
8 babies that year
Average age
84
years old
1950 SSA rank
#3,826
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Duey: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Duey from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 45 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Duey 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 Duey during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Duey
The given name Duey is believed to have originated from the French word "douey," which means "soft" or "gentle." It is thought to have evolved from the Latin word "dulcis," meaning "sweet." The name gained popularity in the Middle Ages, particularly in regions where French influence was strong, such as parts of modern-day France, Belgium, and Switzerland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Duey can be found in a medieval French text from the 13th century, where it was used as a nickname for a person with a gentle and kind demeanor. However, the name's roots can be traced back even further to ancient Roman times, where the word "dulcis" was commonly used to describe sweet flavors or pleasant personalities.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Duey. One of the earliest was Duey de Montfort, a French nobleman and military leader who lived in the 13th century. He played a significant role in the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics in southern France.
In the 16th century, Duey de Châtillon was a prominent French philosopher and writer who contributed to the Renaissance humanist movement. His works explored topics such as ethics, education, and the nature of human existence.
Another historical figure named Duey was Duey Delacroix, a French Romantic painter who lived from 1798 to 1863. He is best known for his masterpiece "Liberty Leading the People," which depicts the July Revolution of 1830 in Paris.
In more recent times, Duey Didion was an American writer and essayist who lived from 1934 to 2021. Her works, including "The Year of Magical Thinking" and "Play It as It Lays," explored themes of grief, loss, and the complexities of human relationships.
Lastly, Duey Novello was an American actress and singer who lived from 1894 to 1942. She gained fame in the early 20th century for her roles in several Broadway musicals and Hollywood films.
While the name Duey may not be as common today as it once was, its historical roots and associations with gentleness, sweetness, and artistic expression have left a lasting impact on various cultures and societies throughout the ages.
People
Duey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Duey 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
Duey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Duey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Duey 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Duey a common name?
We classify Duey as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 75 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Duey most popular?
The single biggest year for Duey was 1918, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Duey is about 84 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Duey a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Duey 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.