Satin
Satin is a smooth and glossy fabric.
Name Census estimates that about 355 living Americans carry the first name Satin. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Satin today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Satin births was 1986 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Satin. 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
355
~ 1 in 965,505 Americans
Peak year
1986
26 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2003 SSA rank
#11,168
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Satin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Satin from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 174 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Satin 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 Satin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Satins live
Origin
Meaning and history of Satin
The name Satin is derived from the Middle English word "satyn," which itself stems from the Old French "satín" or "satin." This term was initially borrowed from the Medieval Latin "satinus" or "satetinus," which referred to a glossy silk fabric. The fabric's name is thought to originate from the Arabic "zaytuni," meaning "from Zaytoum" or the Chinese city of Quanzhou, a prominent center of silk production and trade during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded use of the name Satin can be traced back to the 16th century in England. It was likely initially used as a nickname or surname for individuals associated with the silk trade or the production of satin fabric. As a given name, it gained popularity in the 19th and 20th centuries, perhaps influenced by the luxurious and elegant connotations of the fabric it derives from.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Satin was Satin Bassenge, a French merchant and silk trader who lived in the early 17th century. Another notable figure was Satin Doll, a famous burlesque dancer and performer in the early 20th century, known for her provocative satin costumes.
In the realm of literature, the name Satin appears in the works of renowned authors. For instance, Satin Harrington is a character in the novel "The Viceroy of Ouidah" by Bruce Chatwin, published in 1980. Additionally, Satin Summers is a character in the novel "The Satin Sash" by Mildred Wirt Benson, published in 1943.
In the world of music, the name Satin has been immortalized in several songs. One notable example is the jazz standard "Satin Doll" composed by Duke Ellington and Johnny Mercer in 1953, which became a signature tune for Ellington's orchestra. Another example is the song "Satin Sheets" by Jeremih, released in 2015.
Other notable individuals with the name Satin include Satin Jackets, an American basketball player born in 1965, and Satin Dolls, a French singer and actress born in 1940. These examples highlight the diverse contexts in which the name has been used throughout history, reflecting its association with luxury, glamour, and artistic expression.
People
Satin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Satin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Satin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Satin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 355 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Satin 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 965,505 US residents.
Is Satin a common name?
We classify Satin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 373 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Satin most popular?
The single biggest year for Satin was 1986, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Satin is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Satin a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Satin 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.