Desmond
Desmond was the 376th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 839 babies. Its best year was 1992, when it ranked 264th with 1,069 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 25 places. More babies were named Desmond in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning man from South Munster · Irish
Say it DEZ-mund /ˈdɛzmənd/
- Rank in 2025
- #376 boys, down 15 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 839boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19921,069 babies
- Total since 1880
- 40,264babies recorded
What does the name Desmond mean?
Desmond is an Irish surname from Ó Deasmhumhnaigh, "descendant of the man from Desmond". Desmond, Irish Deasmhumhain, means South Munster, a historic kingdom in southwestern Ireland, from deas, "south", and Mumhain, "Munster". Wiktionary gives this derivation, and Woulfe's 1923 index lists Desmond among the anglicized surnames. As a first name it was popular in Britain in the early 20th century.
Deasmhumhain (Irish, “South Munster”)deas (Irish, “south”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Des, Desmon.
See also: Irish names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Desmond', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Patrick Woulfe, Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames (1923), index of Irish surnames and their anglicized forms, M. H. Gill & Son (Internet Archive scan)
Nicknames for Desmond
The usual nicknames for Desmond are Des and Dez.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des | Traditional | — | — |
| Dez | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Desmonds go by each one.
Desmond popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 233 since 1975.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #376 | 839 |
| 2020 | #361 | 862 |
| 2010 | #349 | 878 |
| 2000 | #375 | 699 |
| 1990 | #287 | 871 |
| 1980 | #347 | 528 |
| 1970 | #630 | 165 |
| 1960 | #827 | 85 |
| 1950 | #1,190 | 37 |
| 1940 | #1,822 | 15 |
| 1930 | #1,342 | 29 |
| 1920 | #1,771 | 20 |
| 1910 | #1,228 | 8 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Desmond, counting every spelling?
Desmond is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #370 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #376 for Desmond on its own. Together these spellings went to 911 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desmond | 839 | #376 | 4,354 |
| Dezmond | 72 | #2,060 | 452 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Desmond?
839 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Desmond (0.23 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Desmond born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 10 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Desmond.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Desmond?
About 37,600 people born in the US named Desmond are alive today, with a median age of 23; half are between 11 and 36. That makes Desmond mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Desmond by state
How common Desmond was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maine (3.6×), Oregon (2.8×), Washington (2.4×), Massachusetts (2.2×), Connecticut (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, South Dakota, Texas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Desmond: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Desmond, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Desmond · Sibling names for Desmond
Questions about the name Desmond
What does Desmond mean?
Desmond means “man from South Munster” (Irish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Desmond?
Desmond was the 376th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 839 babies. Its best year was 1992, when it ranked 264th with 1,069 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 25 places. More babies were named Desmond in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Desmond a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Desmond in the US.
Where is Desmond most popular?
In 2021–2025, Desmond was most common in Vermont (1.91 per 1,000 boys), followed by Maine and Alaska.