Pleasure
Denotative of enjoyment, satisfaction or delight.
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Pleasure. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Pleasure today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pleasure births was 1981 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pleasure. 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 Pleasure. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1981
6 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
1983 SSA rank
#11,504
Tracked since 1981
Popularity
Pleasure: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Pleasure 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 Pleasure during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 | 11 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Pleasure
The name Pleasure is a relatively modern English name, derived from the Middle English word "plesure," which itself came from the Old French "plaisir," meaning delight or enjoyment. This word ultimately traces its origins back to the Latin "placere," meaning "to please." As such, the name Pleasure reflects a desire for happiness and contentment.
While the name Pleasure has its roots in medieval times, it did not gain widespread usage as a given name until the 17th century. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Pleasure Rowley, a Puritan woman born in England around 1625. She later emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s, where she and her husband were among the earliest settlers of the town of Windsor, Connecticut.
Another notable Pleasure from the 17th century was Pleasure Banfyld, born in 1649 in Devon, England. She was a member of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, and was imprisoned several times for her beliefs during a period of religious persecution.
In the 18th century, Pleasure Waterman Ayer was a prominent American Quaker minister and abolitionist. Born in 1740 in Connecticut, she traveled extensively throughout the American colonies, preaching against slavery and advocating for the equal treatment of all people, regardless of race or gender.
The 19th century saw the birth of Pleasure Husband, a British artist and illustrator known for her intricate botanical drawings and paintings. Born in 1828 in London, she exhibited her work at the Royal Academy and was a member of the Society of Female Artists.
In more recent times, Pleasure Behar was a notable American writer and academic. Born in 1920 in New York City, she taught literature and creative writing at several universities and published numerous works of poetry and fiction throughout her career.
While not a common name today, Pleasure has a rich history that reflects its roots in the pursuit of joy and satisfaction. From early settlers and Quaker ministers to artists and writers, the name has been borne by individuals who have left their mark on history in various ways.
People
Pleasure + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pleasure as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pleasure: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pleasure?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pleasure 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 Pleasure a common name?
We classify Pleasure 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, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pleasure most popular?
The single biggest year for Pleasure was 1981, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pleasure is about 45 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 Pleasure in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Pleasure a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pleasure 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 Pleasure still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Pleasure 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 Pleasure 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 common is the name Pleasure?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Pleasure on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.