How Many People Are Named De?
An estimated 1,110 people in the United States have the first name De. It is used for both genders, with 51.5% male. The average bearer is 41 years old, and De peaked in popularity in 1992 with 64 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of De as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name De paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- De is a genuinely unisex name, given to both boys and girls in roughly equal numbers.
Estimated Living Americans
1,110
About 1 in 308,788 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
51.5% confidence
Average Age
41
years old
Peak Year
1992
64 births
Total Registered
1,322
since 1880
Gender Distribution for De
De is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (51.5%) and females (48.5%). Out of 1,322 total births registered, 681 were male and 641 were female.
De as a male name
Ranked #9,869 in 2011
7 male births in 2011
Peak: 1992 (46 births)
De as a female name
Ranked #17,154 in 2005
5 female births in 2005
Peak: 1968 (27 births)
De in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 2,481 people with the first name De, which placed it at #6,469 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, De was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 2,481 people with this name in that snapshot, 64.7% were male and 35.3% were female. That is more heavily male than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 51.5% male.
Census Count
2,481
people with this name
Census Rank
#6,469
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.82
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name De was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Asian and Pacific Islander (64.12%). The next largest recorded groups were White (19.65%) and Black (10.11%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name De in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name De.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 64.12% | 1,592 |
| White | 19.65% | 488 |
| Black | 10.11% | 251 |
| Hispanic | 3.87% | 96 |
| Two or More Races | 1.85% | 46 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.40% | 10 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
De: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for De span from the 1910s to the 2010s, covering 11 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1990s, when 479 babies were registered. De has declined significantly from its peak in the 1990s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
De by Decade
How has De tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
De by State
Birth registrations for De span all 11 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in New York, Virginia, Pennsylvania. The lowest are in Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas. On average, about 29 Des were registered per state.
De + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with De as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to De
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
De: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named De?
We estimate approximately 1,110 people named De are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 308,788 Americans share this first name.
Is De a common name?
De is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 90.8% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 1,322 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was De most popular?
De reached peak popularity in 1992, when 64 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named De is approximately 41 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was De in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 2,481 people with the first name De. That placed it at #6,469 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.82 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often De was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for De?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, De was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 64.7% male and 35.3% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named De?
In the 2020 Census, the first name De was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Asian and Pacific Islander (64.12%). The next largest recorded groups were White (19.65%) and Black (10.11%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is De a male name?
De is predominantly male. 51.5% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can De have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. De peaked in 1992, and the average living bearer is about 41 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many De Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: De Smith, De Johnson, De Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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