Dempsey
Dempsey is given to both girls and boys: 44 girls and 41 boys were given it in 2025 (#3,478 among girls’ names and #3,003 among boys’, #3,941 among all names counting both); 4,799 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 2,820 Americans named Dempsey and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (59% of everyone recorded); the median is 16 years old and half are between 9 and 54.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Dempsey by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
How popular is Dempsey?
#3,003 among boys’ names, 2025
Dempsey fell from #2,003 in 2015 to #3,003 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born fell from 37.6 to 24.0 per million.
124 babies in 2014, the peak
Dempsey peaked in 2014, when 124 babies were given it (94 boys, #1,644 among boys’ names). The 85 births of 2025 (girls and boys) are 69% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 44 | #3,478 | 41 | #3,003 |
| 2024 | 29 | #4,691 | 45 | #2,841 |
| 2023 | 34 | #4,212 | 59 | #2,347 |
| 2022 | 28 | #4,824 | 52 | #2,595 |
| 2021 | 29 | #4,645 | 70 | #2,081 |
| 2020 | 25 | #5,047 | 51 | #2,519 |
| 2019 | 30 | #4,573 | 62 | #2,237 |
| 2018 | 26 | #5,044 | 55 | #2,396 |
| 2017 | 21 | #5,881 | 66 | #2,096 |
| 2016 | 24 | #5,493 | 71 | #2,015 |
Every recorded year (138)
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 37 | #4,011 | 72 | #2,003 |
| 2014 | 30 | #4,685 | 94 | #1,644 |
| 2013 | 37 | #4,023 | 77 | #1,853 |
| 2012 | 18 | #6,940 | 62 | #2,160 |
| 2011 | 25 | #5,416 | 68 | #2,006 |
| 2010 | 9 | #11,498 | 47 | #2,595 |
| 2009 | 16 | #7,778 | 28 | #3,745 |
| 2008 | 11 | #10,264 | 29 | #3,665 |
| 2007 | 9 | #11,886 | 28 | #3,711 |
| 2006 | under 5 | 23 | #4,123 | |
| 2005 | 5 | #17,172 | 17 | #4,869 |
| 2004 | under 5 | 10 | #7,095 | |
| 2003 | under 5 | 18 | #4,465 | |
| 2002 | under 5 | 18 | #4,354 | |
| 2001 | under 5 | 9 | #7,051 | |
| 2000 | 5 | #15,671 | 19 | #4,093 |
| 1999 | under 5 | 17 | #4,194 | |
| 1998 | 9 | #9,472 | 18 | #3,881 |
| 1997 | under 5 | 22 | #3,272 | |
| 1996 | 12 | #7,253 | 22 | #3,221 |
| 1995 | 5 | #14,006 | 15 | #4,096 |
| 1994 | under 5 | 15 | #4,134 | |
| 1993 | 8 | #9,803 | 10 | #5,437 |
| 1992 | under 5 | 17 | #3,640 | |
| 1991 | under 5 | 15 | #3,850 | |
| 1990 | under 5 | 14 | #4,019 | |
| 1989 | under 5 | 15 | #3,658 | |
| 1988 | under 5 | 16 | #3,243 | |
| 1987 | under 5 | 19 | #2,746 | |
| 1986 | under 5 | 8 | #4,962 | |
| 1985 | under 5 | 8 | #4,802 | |
| 1984 | under 5 | 14 | #3,131 | |
| 1983 | under 5 | 13 | #3,280 | |
| 1982 | under 5 | 14 | #3,153 | |
| 1981 | under 5 | 9 | #4,236 | |
| 1980 | under 5 | 23 | #2,235 | |
| 1979 | under 5 | 23 | #2,175 | |
| 1978 | under 5 | 11 | #3,451 | |
| 1977 | under 5 | 12 | #3,245 | |
| 1976 | under 5 | 14 | #2,855 | |
| 1975 | under 5 | 16 | #2,555 | |
| 1974 | under 5 | 25 | #1,841 | |
| 1973 | under 5 | 24 | #1,832 | |
| 1972 | under 5 | 19 | #2,098 | |
| 1971 | under 5 | 11 | #3,009 | |
| 1970 | under 5 | 26 | #1,712 | |
| 1969 | under 5 | 16 | #2,154 | |
| 1968 | under 5 | 22 | #1,702 | |
| 1967 | under 5 | 17 | #1,920 | |
| 1966 | under 5 | 17 | #1,910 | |
| 1965 | under 5 | 23 | #1,633 | |
| 1964 | under 5 | 36 | #1,316 | |
| 1963 | under 5 | 20 | #1,804 | |
| 1962 | under 5 | 28 | #1,487 | |
| 1961 | under 5 | 32 | #1,410 | |
| 1960 | under 5 | 24 | #1,665 | |
| 1959 | under 5 | 34 | #1,339 | |
| 1958 | under 5 | 46 | #1,136 | |
| 1957 | under 5 | 32 | #1,395 | |
| 1956 | under 5 | 31 | #1,392 | |
| 1955 | under 5 | 39 | #1,201 | |
| 1954 | under 5 | 43 | #1,140 | |
| 1953 | under 5 | 32 | #1,337 | |
| 1952 | under 5 | 32 | #1,327 | |
| 1951 | under 5 | 41 | #1,123 | |
| 1950 | under 5 | 38 | #1,169 | |
| 1949 | under 5 | 54 | #941 | |
| 1948 | under 5 | 48 | #1,015 | |
| 1947 | 6 | #4,873 | 35 | #1,237 |
| 1946 | under 5 | 38 | #1,132 | |
| 1945 | under 5 | 35 | #1,104 | |
| 1944 | under 5 | 39 | #1,058 | |
| 1943 | under 5 | 37 | #1,123 | |
| 1942 | under 5 | 42 | #1,039 | |
| 1941 | 7 | #3,649 | 40 | #1,021 |
| 1940 | under 5 | 30 | #1,233 | |
| 1939 | under 5 | 35 | #1,091 | |
| 1938 | under 5 | 45 | #941 | |
| 1937 | under 5 | 41 | #991 | |
| 1936 | under 5 | 26 | #1,301 | |
| 1935 | under 5 | 35 | #1,104 | |
| 1934 | under 5 | 42 | #988 | |
| 1933 | under 5 | 43 | #964 | |
| 1932 | under 5 | 40 | #1,062 | |
| 1931 | under 5 | 41 | #1,051 | |
| 1930 | under 5 | 55 | #897 | |
| 1929 | under 5 | 49 | #963 | |
| 1928 | under 5 | 69 | #780 | |
| 1927 | under 5 | 75 | #757 | |
| 1926 | under 5 | 53 | #934 | |
| 1925 | under 5 | 59 | #874 | |
| 1924 | under 5 | 41 | #1,122 | |
| 1923 | 6 | #4,510 | 76 | #751 |
| 1922 | under 5 | 81 | #731 | |
| 1921 | under 5 | 108 | #609 | |
| 1920 | 5 | #5,162 | 93 | #662 |
| 1919 | under 5 | 107 | #581 | |
| 1918 | under 5 | 44 | #1,015 | |
| 1917 | under 5 | 36 | #1,120 | |
| 1916 | under 5 | 25 | #1,384 | |
| 1915 | under 5 | 32 | #1,145 | |
| 1914 | under 5 | 18 | #1,452 | |
| 1913 | under 5 | 17 | #1,270 | |
| 1912 | under 5 | 12 | #1,439 | |
| 1911 | under 5 | 11 | #1,058 | |
| 1910 | under 5 | 12 | #942 | |
| 1909 | under 5 | 13 | #813 | |
| 1908 | under 5 | 6 | #1,250 | |
| 1907 | under 5 | 10 | #883 | |
| 1906 | under 5 | 7 | #1,033 | |
| 1905 | under 5 | 5 | #1,279 | |
| 1904 | under 5 | 5 | #1,254 | |
| 1903 | under 5 | 9 | #805 | |
| 1901 | under 5 | 6 | #977 | |
| 1900 | under 5 | 6 | #1,199 | |
| 1897 | under 5 | 5 | #1,102 | |
| 1896 | under 5 | 6 | #1,009 | |
| 1894 | under 5 | 7 | #882 | |
| 1893 | under 5 | 5 | #1,076 | |
| 1892 | under 5 | 8 | #812 | |
| 1891 | under 5 | 5 | #1,005 | |
| 1890 | under 5 | 6 | #918 | |
| 1889 | under 5 | 5 | #1,003 | |
| 1886 | under 5 | 5 | #1,003 | |
| 1885 | under 5 | 6 | #857 | |
| 1883 | under 5 | 9 | #656 | |
| 1882 | under 5 | 6 | #862 | |
| 1880 | under 5 | 11 | #579 |
Ranks: girls’ names and boys’ names ranked separately in each year’s SSA file; “under 5” is a year SSA did not list the name for that sex.
Is Dempsey a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 4,799 Americans recorded as Dempsey, 11% are girls and 89% boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Dempsey: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Dempsey, and how old are they?
2,820 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 59% of the 4,799 Americans ever recorded as Dempsey. The median Dempsey alive today is 16 years old; half are between 9 and 54.
The 2020 Census counted 2,277 people named Dempsey (401 women and girls, 1,876 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 2,540 born in the U.S. The Census count is 10% below that prediction. Possible reasons: people who give a short form or another name to the Census, and a survival estimate that can run high.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 135 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 446 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 263 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 238 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 533 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 1,200 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Dempsey born?
The states with the most babies named Dempsey are Texas, Ohio and Indiana, with 100% of its births recorded by state in 2025; Indiana is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 10 | #2,661 | 0.3× |
| Ohio | 6 | not ranked | 0.2× |
| Indiana | 5 | #977 | 0.0× |
Where Dempsey is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Dempsey is most over-represented in West Virginia: since 1910 it was given 1.9 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Dempsey with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 2 names spelled alike, given to 4,918 babies since 1880, Dempsey is the most given (98% of them). In 2025 it was given to 85 of their 85 babies (100%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Dempsey
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Dempsey and names like it
- Compare Dempsey and DempsyBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2010sDempsey peaked in 2014.
- North Carolina’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Dempsey since 1910.
- The top names of 2014The year the most babies were named Dempsey.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Dempsey alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with DMost given first.