Total births
1,817
Girls' name · since 1880
Dessa
Dessa has 1,817 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2001 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #7254
- among girls today
- 1,817
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 59%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Dessa is the #7254 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 1,817 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Dessa has been recorded 1,817 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #7254 nationally and more common than 59% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #7254 among girls today
- 1,817 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
- 59% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Dessa is currently the #7254 girls' name in America, more common than 59% of girls - 1,817 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #7254
- among girls today
- 1,817
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 59%
- more common than other girls
Dessa vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#7254
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 59% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
10% of everyone ever named Dessa was born in this single decade.
2001
Single peak year
31 babies were named Dessa in 2001 - its busiest year on record.
How Dessa compares
1,817 Top 23% higher than 77% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Dessa's all-time total is 5x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Dessa | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,817 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 31 | 48 | 19,840 |
Dessa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Dessa splits its recorded history at 1954: 54% of all births land in the more recent half, 46% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1933 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2001 peak of 31 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Dessa at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2001
Current rank
#7,254
Active since
1880
Dessa popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2001)
- 31
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Dessa by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Dessa's strongest decade.
183 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 10% of all-time use.
Dessa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
99 births
- 1890s
1890s
98 births
- 1900s
1900s
79 births
- 1910s
1910s
152 births
- 1920s
1920s
156 births
- 1930s
1930s
111 births
- 1940s
1940s
94 births
- 1950s
1950s
125 births
- 1960s
1960s
119 births
- 1970s
1970s
118 births
- 1980s
1980s
132 births
- 1990s
1990s
101 births
- 2000s
2000s
183 births
- 2010s
2010s
175 births
- 2020s
2020s
75 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 183 births (10% of all-time use).
How Dessa compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Dessa's total volume
Dessa vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Dessa by state
Where Dessa concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Alabama | | 8 | 0.4% |
| #2 | California | | 7 | 0.4% |
| #3 | Texas | | 5 | 0.3% |
Alabama share of Dessa's total US births 0.4%
Even split
8 of 1,817 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Dessa? ▼
Dessa has been given to 1,817 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #7254 as of the latest data. 31 babies were born in 2001, its single highest year.
When was Dessa most popular? ▼
Dessa was most popular in the 2000s decade with 183 total births. The single peak year was 2001.
Where is Dessa most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Dessa are Alabama (8 births), California (7 births), Texas (5 births).
How long has the name Dessa been used? ▼
Dessa has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Dessa? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Destiny, Desiree, Destinee, Desirae, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Dessa's data
- Dessa's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (183 total births) through the 2020s (75) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Alabama records the most Dessas (8 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Alabama 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 Dessa
Nearby Names Like Dessa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Dessa
Destiny Girl
#481 151,763 births
Desiree Girl
#1137 83,563 births
Destinee Girl
#2574 16,800 births
Desirae Girl
#2868 13,160 births
Dessie Girl
#12161 11,414 births
Compare Dessa side by side: Dessa vs Destiny Dessa vs Desiree Dessa vs Destinee
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Dessa
Mellie #7253
2,203 births · Peak 1895
Daisey #7255
2,520 births · Peak 2000
Zula #7252
4,450 births · Peak 1922
Ocie #7256
4,132 births · Peak 1916
Nona #7251
16,708 births · Peak 1950
Evaline #7257
1,708 births · Peak 1916
Khailany #7250
31 births · Peak 2024
Freddie #7258
10,328 births · Peak 1942
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Dessa: #7254 Girls' Name - 1,817 Births, Peak 2001." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/dessa. 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 Dessa 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.