Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2014

Dempsey

Gender Unisex · 11% girls Rank 2025 #3,004 Trend ↓ Falling 12%
Rank 2025
#3,004
among boys · ↓163 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
85
named Dempsey · +15% vs 2024
How common
1 in 41,660
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2014
124 babies
All-time total
4,799
#1,994 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Dempsey popularity over time

4,799 babies have been named Dempsey since 1880, 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
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
BoysGirls

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 Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 42 42 4 – #579
1890s – 42 42 4 0% #813
1900s – 67 67 7 +60% #805
1910s – 314 314 31 +369% #581
1920s 11 704 715 72 +128% #609
1930s – 403 403 40 -44% #897
1940s 13 398 411 41 +2% #942
1950s – 368 368 37 -10% #1,124
1960s – 235 235 24 -36% #1,317
1970s – 181 181 18 -23% #1,713
1980s – 139 139 14 -23% #2,235
1990s 34 165 199 20 +43% #3,227
2000s 46 199 245 25 +23% #3,668
2010s 257 674 931 93 +280% #1,644
2020s (to 2025) 189 318 507 85 -9% #2,082

Where Dempsey is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (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 boys Implied rank
2026 40 0.02 outside top 500
2027 39 0.02 outside top 500
2028 38 0.02 outside top 500
2029 37 0.02 outside top 500
2030 37 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Dempsey

Dempsey is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,004 in 2025 with 41 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 4,799 American babies have been named Dempsey, about 89% boys and 11% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2014, when 124 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 Dempsey stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Dempsey?

The median living Dempsey is about 16 years old; half are between 8 and 57. An estimated 2,900 people named Dempsey are alive in the United States today.

median 16 020406080100

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

Dempsey year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 44 #3,479 41 #3,004
2024 29 #4,693 45 #2,841
2023 34 #4,214 59 #2,348
2022 28 #4,827 52 #2,596
2021 29 #4,649 70 #2,082
2020 25 #5,050 51 #2,520
2019 30 #4,574 62 #2,238
2018 26 #5,048 55 #2,397
2017 21 #5,885 66 #2,097
2016 24 #5,495 71 #2,015
2015 37 #4,012 72 #2,003
2014 30 #4,687 94 #1,644
2013 37 #4,025 77 #1,854
2012 18 #6,944 62 #2,161
2011 25 #5,418 68 #2,007
2010 9 #11,504 47 #2,596
2009 16 #7,781 28 #3,747
2008 11 #10,269 29 #3,668
2007 9 #11,890 28 #3,713
2006 – – 23 #4,127
2005 5 #17,179 17 #4,874
2004 – – 10 #7,101
2003 – – 18 #4,470
2002 – – 18 #4,360
2001 – – 9 #7,058
2000 5 #15,679 19 #4,099
1995 5 #14,011 15 #4,102
1990 – – 14 #4,025
1985 – – 8 #4,807
1980 – – 23 #2,235
1975 – – 16 #2,557
1970 – – 26 #1,713
1965 – – 23 #1,634
1960 – – 24 #1,666
1955 – – 39 #1,202
1950 – – 38 #1,170
1945 – – 35 #1,105
1940 – – 30 #1,233
1935 – – 35 #1,104
1930 – – 55 #897
1925 – – 59 #874
1920 5 #5,164 93 #662
1915 – – 32 #1,145
1910 – – 12 #943
1905 – – 5 #1,280
1900 – – 6 #1,200
1895 – – – –
1890 – – 6 #918
1885 – – 6 #858
1880 – – 11 #579

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Dempsey?

The median living Dempsey is about 16 years old. Half of all living Dempseys are between 8 and 57 years old.

How many people named Dempsey are alive today?

An estimated 2,900 people named Dempsey are alive in the United States, based on 4,799 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Dempsey in 2025?

Dempsey ranked #3,004 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 41 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Dempsey?

4,799 babies have been named Dempsey in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Dempsey most popular?

Dempsey peaked in 2014, when 124 newborns received the name.

Is Dempsey a boy or girl name?

Dempsey is used for both: about 11% of babies named Dempsey have been girls and 89% boys.

Is the name Dempsey rising or falling?

Dempsey is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Dempsey become more popular?

Dempsey is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 37 boys named Dempsey in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Dempsey

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

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