Desmond
A male given name transferred from the surname; popular in Britain in the first half of the twentieth century.
Every Desmond since 1904 — 40,264 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Desmond
Desmond is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #376 in 2025 with 839 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1904, 40,264 American babies have been named Desmond. Its peak came in 1992, when 1,080 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1990s.
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 Desmond stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Desmond 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 | — | — | 839 | #376 |
| 2024 | — | — | 891 | #368 |
| 2023 | — | — | 797 | #399 |
| 2022 | — | — | 907 | #363 |
| 2021 | — | — | 920 | #354 |
| 2020 | — | — | 862 | #361 |
| 2019 | — | — | 863 | #369 |
| 2018 | — | — | 1,030 | #324 |
| 2017 | — | — | 1,047 | #327 |
| 2016 | — | — | 894 | #371 |
| 2015 | — | — | 962 | #351 |
| 2014 | — | — | 1,035 | #330 |
| 2013 | 5 | #17,246 | 984 | #329 |
| 2012 | — | — | 924 | #339 |
| 2011 | — | — | 843 | #355 |
| 2010 | — | — | 878 | #349 |
| 2009 | — | — | 789 | #383 |
| 2008 | — | — | 720 | #412 |
| 2007 | 5 | #18,380 | 676 | #425 |
| 2006 | — | — | 583 | #463 |
| 2005 | — | — | 530 | #472 |
| 2004 | — | — | 543 | #466 |
| 2003 | 6 | #14,357 | 556 | #454 |
| 2002 | 5 | #16,128 | 584 | #422 |
| 2001 | — | — | 636 | #397 |
| 2000 | 5 | #15,704 | 699 | #375 |
| 1995 | 9 | #8,963 | 667 | #361 |
| 1990 | 6 | #11,783 | 871 | #287 |
| 1985 | 5 | #11,090 | 677 | #301 |
| 1980 | 11 | #6,016 | 528 | #347 |
| 1975 | 5 | #9,437 | 240 | #519 |
| 1970 | — | — | 165 | #630 |
| 1965 | — | — | 124 | #666 |
| 1960 | — | — | 85 | #827 |
| 1955 | — | — | 62 | #952 |
| 1950 | — | — | 37 | #1,190 |
| 1945 | — | — | 23 | #1,388 |
| 1940 | — | — | 15 | #1,822 |
| 1935 | — | — | 24 | #1,396 |
| 1930 | — | — | 29 | #1,342 |
| 1925 | — | — | 33 | #1,259 |
| 1920 | — | — | 20 | #1,771 |
| 1915 | — | — | 19 | #1,617 |
| 1910 | — | — | 8 | #1,228 |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Desmond
- Desmond Doss Military personnel · 1919–2006
- Desmond Tutu Religious figure · b. 1931
- Desmond Llewelyn Actor · 1914–1999
- Desmond Morris Biologist · b. 1928
- Desmond Dekker Musician · 1941–2006
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Desmond mean?
A male given name transferred from the surname; popular in Britain in the first half of the twentieth century.
How popular is the name Desmond in 2025?
Desmond ranked #376 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 839 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Desmond?
40,264 babies have been named Desmond in the United States since 1904, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Desmond most popular?
Desmond peaked in 1992, when 1,080 newborns received the name.
Is Desmond a boy or girl name?
Desmond is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Desmond rising or falling?
Desmond has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Desmond?
Well-known people named Desmond include Desmond Doss (military personnel), Desmond Tutu (religious figure), Desmond Llewelyn (actor).