Total births
1,171
Boys' name · since 1979
Deontay
1,171 babies named Deontay in U.S. Social Security records since 1979, with the highest year being 1996. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #9236
- among boys today
- 1,171
- born since 1979
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 35%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Deontay is the #9236 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 1,171 recorded since 1979.
Social Security Administration records show Deontay recorded 1,171 times among boys since 1979, holding rank #9236 nationally today, ahead of 35% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1979 to 2025.
- #9236 among boys today
- 1,171 born since 1979
- 1990s peak decade
- 35% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Deontay is currently the #9236 boys' name in America, more common than 35% of boys - 1,171 born since 1979, peaking in the 1990s.
- #9236
- among boys today
- 1,171
- born since 1979
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 35%
- more common than other boys
Deontay vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#9236
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 35% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
38% of everyone ever named Deontay was born in this single decade.
1996
Single peak year
57 babies were named Deontay in 1996 - its busiest year on record.
How Deontay compares
1,171 Top 28% higher than 72% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Deontay's all-time total is 3x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Deontay | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,171 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 57 | 23 | 22,252 |
Deontay's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Deontay's SSA record in two at 2003 and the more recent half accounts for 40% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 60%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1979, with only 8 births recorded -- set against the 1996 peak of 57, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Deontay at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1996
Current rank
#9,236
Active since
1979
Deontay popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1979–2025
- Peak year (1996)
- 57
- Annual births at peak, across 47 years of records
Deontay by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Deontay's strongest decade.
450 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Deontay births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 8
1970s
8 births
- 1980s 126
1980s
126 births
- 1990s
1990s
450 births
- 2000s
2000s
333 births
- 2010s 171
2010s
171 births
- 2020s 83
2020s
83 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 450 births (38% of all-time use).
How Deontay compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Deontay's total volume
Deontay vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Deontay by state
Where Deontay concentrates geographically, total births since 1979
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Michigan | | 52 | 4.4% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 48 | 4.1% |
| #3 | Maryland | | 41 | 3.5% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 17 | 1.5% |
| #5 | Florida | | 11 | 0.9% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 11 | 0.9% |
| #7 | California | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Mississippi | | 5 | 0.4% |
Michigan share of Deontay's total US births 4.4%
Even split
52 of 1,171 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.
Deontay appears in 9 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Deontay? ▼
Since 1979, Social Security records show 1,171 babies named Deontay. Today it holds rank #9236 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1996, with 57 births.
When was Deontay most popular? ▼
Deontay was most popular in the 1990s decade with 450 total births. The single peak year was 1996.
Where is Deontay most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Deontay are Michigan (52 births), Illinois (48 births), Maryland (41 births).
How long has the name Deontay been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Deontay since 1979 -- 47 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Deontay? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Deon, Deonte, Deondre, Deontae, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Deontay's data
- Deontay's decade-level peak was the 1990s (450 total births); usage has since declined to 83 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Michigan records the most Deontays (52 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Michigan names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Deontay
Nearby Names Like Deontay
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Deontay
Deon Boy
#1316 15,318 births
Deonte Boy
#2490 8,198 births
Deondre Boy
#3553 4,055 births
Deontae Boy
#2651 3,697 births
Deonta Boy
#6274 2,642 births
Compare Deontay side by side: Deontay vs Deon Deontay vs Deonte Deontay vs Deondre
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Deontay
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1979–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Deontay: #9236 Boys' Name - 1,171 Births, Peak 1996." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/deontay. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Deontay draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.