Unisex name · since 1948
Desi
Desi has 2,347 recorded births since 1948 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1970 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2,990 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,566 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,347
- born since 1948
- 1970s
- peak decade
Desi currently ranks #4566 among unisex names in America, with 2,347 babies recorded since 1948.
Social Security Administration records show Desi recorded 2,347 times among boys since 1948, holding rank #4566 nationally today, ahead of 67% of boys, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1948 to 2025.
- #2,990 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #4,566 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 2,347 born since 1948
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Desi ranks #2,990 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,566 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 2,347 born since 1948, peaking in the 1970s.
- #2,990 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,566 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,347
- born since 1948
- 1970s
- peak decade
Desi's 2,347 recorded births place it above 93.42% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
14 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Desi compares
2,347 Top 20% higher than 80% of 13,930 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
Desi's all-time total is 6x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Desi | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,347 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 68 | 34 | 22,252 |
Desi's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Desi splits its recorded history at 1988: 40% of all births land in the more recent half, 60% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1948 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1970 peak of 68 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Desi popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1948–2025
- Peak year (1970)
- 68
- Annual births at peak, across 78 years of records
Desi popularity over time - girls
1,048 total births recorded since 1949 (Desi as girls' name)
Desi by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (537 births, 23% of the file).
1970s was Desi's strongest decade.
537 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Desi births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1950s
1950s
312 births
- 1960s
1960s
298 births
- 1970s
1970s
537 births
- 1980s
1980s
300 births
- 1990s
1990s
264 births
- 2000s
2000s
241 births
- 2010s
2010s
215 births
- 2020s 175
2020s
175 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 537 births (23% of all-time use).
How Desi 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 Desi's total volume
Desi by state
Where Desi concentrates geographically, total births since 1948
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 259 | 11.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 123 | 5.2% |
| #3 | Florida | | 47 | 2.0% |
| #4 | New York | | 36 | 1.5% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 23 | 1.0% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 23 | 1.0% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 22 | 0.9% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 16 | 0.7% |
259 of 2,347 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 14 reporting states.
Desi appears in 14 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Desi? ▼
Where does Desi sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Desi most popular? ▼
Where is Desi most popular? ▼
Is Desi a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Desi been used? ▼
What names are similar to Desi? ▼
What to do with Desi's data
- Desi's decade-level peak was the 1970s (537 total births); usage has since declined to 175 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Desis (259 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Desi
Nearby Names Like Desi
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Desi
Compare Desi side by side: Desi vs Desmond Desi vs Deshawn Desi vs Destin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Desi
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Desi: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1970)
Similar record span (~77 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1948–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Desi 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 August 2026.