Defne: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#4,285

among girls · ↑28 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Defne

How common

1 in 48,705

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2017

51 babies

All-time total

659

#9,921 all-time among girls

First recorded

1993

in Social Security records

Defne popularity over time

659 babies have been named Defne since 1993, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–
1970s	–	–	–	–
1980s	–	–	–	–
1990s	26	3	–	#8,752
2000s	152	15	+485%	#5,972
2010s	316	32	+108%	#3,163
2020s (to 2025)	165	28	-13%	#4,285

Where Defne is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	33	0.02	outside top 500
2027	33	0.02	outside top 500
2028	33	0.02	outside top 500
2029	33	0.02	outside top 500
2030	33	0.02	outside top 500

The story of Defne

Defne is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,285 in 2025 with 33 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1993, 659 American babies have been named Defne. Its peak came in 2017, when 51 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Defne stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Defne?

The median living Defne is about 9 years old; half are between 5 and 16. An estimated 700 people named Defne are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Defne year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	33	#4,285
2024	33	#4,313
2023	30	#4,590
2022	21	#5,829
2021	22	#5,612
2020	26	#4,925
2019	31	#4,466
2018	39	#3,802
2017	51	#3,163
2016	48	#3,341
2015	28	#4,889
2014	26	#5,197
2013	19	#6,537
2012	28	#4,997
2011	25	#5,415
2010	21	#6,236
2009	22	#6,160
2008	15	#8,220
2007	17	#7,476
2006	22	#5,972
2005	17	#6,909
2004	19	#6,296
2003	9	#10,658
2002	12	#8,425
2001	8	#11,276
2000	11	#8,714
1995	–	–
1990	–	–
1985	–	–
1980	–	–
1975	–	–
1970	–	–
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Defne, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Defne?

The median living Defne is about 9 years old. Half of all living Defnes are between 5 and 16 years old.

How many people named Defne are alive today?

An estimated 700 people named Defne are alive in the United States, based on 659 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Defne mean?

Defne is a common feminine Turkish given name.

How popular is the name Defne in 2025?

Defne ranked #4,285 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 33 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Defne?

659 babies have been named Defne in the United States since 1993, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Defne most popular?

Defne peaked in 2017, when 51 newborns received the name.

Is Defne a boy or girl name?

Defne is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Defne rising or falling?

Defne is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Defne become more popular?

Defne looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 33 girls named Defne in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Defne

Names that sound and feel close to Defne: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Defne with similar names → More names starting with D →