Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1918

Dessie

Gender Girl · 3% boys Rank 2025 #12,231

Dessie is a masculine given name, often a short form of Desmond.

Rank 2025
#12,231
among girls · ↑276 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
7
named Dessie
How common
1 in 229,610
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1918
315 babies
All-time total
11,731
#1,529 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Dessie popularity over time

11,731 babies have been named Dessie 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
0.190.380.560.7518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

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 540 – 540 54 – #233
1890s 1,039 6 1,045 105 +94% #244
1900s 1,276 13 1,289 129 +23% #274
1910s 2,327 52 2,379 238 +85% #298
1920s 2,378 96 2,474 247 +4% #392
1930s 1,369 66 1,435 144 -42% #489
1940s 865 34 899 90 -37% #697
1950s 589 33 622 62 -31% #1,074
1960s 344 7 351 35 -44% #1,524
1970s 200 5 205 21 -42% #2,467
1980s 167 – 167 17 -19% #3,146
1990s 109 5 114 11 -32% #5,908
2000s 92 – 92 9 -19% #8,333
2010s 78 – 78 8 -15% #9,104
2020s (to 2025) 41 – 41 7 -12% #9,142

The story of Dessie

Dessie is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #12,231 in 2025 with 7 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 11,731 American babies have been named Dessie. Its peak came in 1918, when 315 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

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

How old are people named Dessie?

The median living Dessie is about 71 years old; half are between 53 and 82. An estimated 2,500 people named Dessie are alive in the United States today.

median 71 020406080100

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

Dessie 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 7 #12,231 – –
2024 7 #12,507 – –
2023 11 #9,142 – –
2022 9 #10,591 – –
2021 7 #12,530 – –
2020 – – – –
2019 8 #11,639 – –
2018 7 #12,831 – –
2017 6 #14,603 – –
2016 8 #12,068 – –
2015 12 #9,104 – –
2014 5 #17,240 – –
2013 11 #9,769 – –
2012 6 #15,468 – –
2011 9 #11,445 – –
2010 6 #15,482 – –
2009 8 #12,747 – –
2008 6 #15,935 – –
2007 9 #11,897 – –
2006 14 #8,368 – –
2005 6 #14,986 – –
2004 10 #10,114 – –
2003 9 #10,677 – –
2002 8 #11,409 – –
2001 12 #8,333 – –
2000 10 #9,347 – –
1995 9 #8,964 – –
1990 15 #5,908 – –
1985 19 #4,173 – –
1980 27 #3,146 – –
1975 20 #3,423 – –
1970 23 #2,955 – –
1965 32 #2,076 – –
1960 53 #1,524 – –
1955 51 #1,408 9 #2,816
1950 74 #1,074 – –
1945 86 #816 7 #2,814
1940 100 #697 – –
1935 124 #579 7 #3,028
1930 185 #489 8 #3,089
1925 217 #469 11 #2,631
1920 283 #392 14 #2,247
1915 283 #356 9 #2,679
1910 164 #303 – –
1905 131 #290 – –
1900 125 #294 7 #1,074
1895 98 #282 – –
1890 102 #244 – –
1885 72 #233 – –
1880 36 #255 – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Dessie?

The median living Dessie is about 71 years old. Half of all living Dessies are between 53 and 82 years old.

How many people named Dessie are alive today?

An estimated 2,500 people named Dessie are alive in the United States, based on 11,731 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Dessie mean?

Dessie is a masculine given name, often a short form of Desmond.

How popular is the name Dessie in 2025?

Dessie ranked #12,231 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 7 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Dessie?

11,731 babies have been named Dessie in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Dessie most popular?

Dessie peaked in 1918, when 315 newborns received the name.

Is Dessie a boy or girl name?

Dessie is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 97% of babies with the name.

Is the name Dessie rising or falling?

Dessie has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Names like Dessie

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

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