Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1970

Desi

Gender Unisex · 31% girls Rank 2025 #4,578 Trend ↑ Rising 39%
Rank 2025
#4,578
among boys · ↓1,403 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
57
named Desi · -24% vs 2024
How common
1 in 77,640
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1970
80 babies
All-time total
3,395
#2,990 all-time among boys
First recorded
1948
in Social Security records

Desi popularity over time

3,395 babies have been named Desi since 1948, 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
0.010.030.040.0518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
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 – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s 5 5 10 1 – #3,805
1950s 129 312 441 44 +4310% #992
1960s 134 298 432 43 -2% #1,206
1970s 106 537 643 64 +49% #984
1980s 66 300 366 37 -43% #1,317
1990s 73 264 337 34 -8% #2,251
2000s 104 241 345 35 +2% #2,754
2010s 219 215 434 43 +26% #3,534
2020s (to 2025) 212 175 387 65 +49% #3,175

Where Desi 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 24 0.01 outside top 500
2027 25 0.01 outside top 500
2028 26 0.02 outside top 500
2029 28 0.02 outside top 500
2030 29 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Desi

Desi is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,578 in 2025 with 22 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1948, 3,395 American babies have been named Desi, about 69% boys and 31% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1970, when 80 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

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 Desi stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Desi?

The median living Desi is about 39 years old; half are between 15 and 55. An estimated 3,100 people named Desi are alive in the United States today.

median 39 020406080100

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

Desi 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 35 #4,096 22 #4,578
2024 37 #3,986 38 #3,175
2023 31 #4,485 31 #3,643
2022 42 #3,663 31 #3,635
2021 34 #4,184 22 #4,527
2020 33 #4,192 31 #3,510
2019 28 #4,804 24 #4,256
2018 35 #4,094 13 #6,434
2017 20 #6,108 23 #4,359
2016 24 #5,497 21 #4,658
2015 19 #6,526 15 #5,803
2014 20 #6,260 17 #5,304
2013 18 #6,810 19 #4,848
2012 16 #7,550 26 #3,925
2011 17 #7,203 30 #3,534
2010 22 #6,024 27 #3,837
2009 14 #8,565 32 #3,419
2008 13 #9,103 19 #4,943
2007 6 #16,031 23 #4,270
2006 23 #5,773 19 #4,729
2005 11 #9,622 12 #6,323
2004 10 #10,112 23 #3,899
2003 5 #16,442 30 #3,136
2002 5 #16,125 28 #3,205
2001 7 #12,408 22 #3,746
2000 10 #9,345 33 #2,754
1995 11 #7,654 14 #4,337
1990 – – 29 #2,384
1985 9 #7,111 23 #2,310
1980 10 #6,414 51 #1,317
1975 11 #5,233 45 #1,285
1970 12 #4,561 68 #984
1965 22 #2,618 17 #1,941
1960 19 #2,835 38 #1,276
1955 24 #2,230 34 #1,297
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Desi

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Desi Arnaz Desi Arnaz Cuban-American musician, actor, producer and television studio head (1917–1986) Contemporary
  2. 2 Desi Slava Bulgarian singer-songwriter and producer b. 1979 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Desi?

The median living Desi is about 39 years old. Half of all living Desis are between 15 and 55 years old.

How many people named Desi are alive today?

An estimated 3,100 people named Desi are alive in the United States, based on 3,395 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Desi in 2025?

Desi ranked #4,578 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 22 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Desi?

3,395 babies have been named Desi in the United States since 1948, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Desi most popular?

Desi peaked in 1970, when 80 newborns received the name.

Is Desi a boy or girl name?

Desi is used for both: about 31% of babies named Desi have been girls and 69% boys.

Is the name Desi rising or falling?

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

Will Desi become more popular?

Desi is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 29 boys named Desi in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Desi?

Well-known people named Desi include Desi Arnaz (actor), Desi Slava (singer).

Names like Desi

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

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