Dureen
A feminine name of unknown origin, potentially meaning "little gift".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Dureen. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Dureen today is around 71 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dureen births was 1941 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dureen. 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 Dureen is about 71 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Dureens were born before 1965.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dureen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
1941
5 babies that year
Average age
71
years old
1961 SSA rank
#6,825
Tracked since 1941
Popularity
Dureen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dureen from the 1940s through to the 1960s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 10 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
Dureen 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 Dureen 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 Dureen
The name Dureen originates from the Gaelic language, predominantly spoken in Ireland, Scotland, and parts of England. It is derived from the Irish word "dubh," which means "dark," and the suffix "-een," often used as a diminutive or endearing form. The name can be traced back to the early medieval period, approximately the 5th to 10th centuries CE.
Dureen was a name commonly used among Irish and Scottish families, particularly in rural areas. It was often given to children with dark hair or complexions, reflecting the meaning of the root word "dubh." While not as prevalent as more traditional names like Aoife or Sinead, Dureen held cultural significance within these Gaelic-speaking communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dureen can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In an entry from the year 1042, a woman named Dureen is mentioned as the wife of a local chieftain. This reference provides evidence of the name's usage during that time period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Dureen. One such figure was Dureen MacMillan (1886-1968), a Scottish suffragette and activist for women's rights. She was involved in various protests and campaigns, including the infamous "Black Friday" event in 1910, where she and other activists were physically assaulted by police during a demonstration.
Another notable Dureen was Dureen Kelly (1915-2008), an American actress and singer. She had a successful career on Broadway and in Hollywood, appearing in several musicals and films during the 1940s and 1950s. Her most notable role was as Laurey in the original Broadway production of "Oklahoma!" in 1943.
In the literary world, Dureen O'Connor (1932-2017) was an acclaimed Irish novelist and short story writer. Her works often explored themes of identity, family dynamics, and the complexities of modern Irish society. Her novel "The Light Trappers" was a critical success and earned her several prestigious literary awards.
Dureen Shaffer (1944-2022) was an American artist and sculptor, known for her large-scale public installations and environmental artworks. Her most famous piece, "The Garden of Cosmic Speculation," located in Scotland, is a unique blend of art, architecture, and landscape design, reflecting her interest in exploring the relationship between nature and human-made structures.
Lastly, Dureen Muir (1957-present) is a Canadian politician and advocate for Indigenous rights. She has served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and has been actively involved in various initiatives aimed at improving the lives of Indigenous communities, particularly in the areas of education and health.
People
Dureen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dureen 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
Dureen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dureen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dureen 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 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Dureen a common name?
We classify Dureen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 20 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dureen most popular?
The single biggest year for Dureen was 1941, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dureen is about 71 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dureen a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dureen 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.