Total births
151,763
Girls' name · since 1956
Destiny
151,763 babies named Destiny in U.S. Social Security records since 1956, with the highest year being 2000. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #481
- among girls today
- 151,763
- born since 1956
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Destiny is the #481 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 151,763 recorded since 1956.
Destiny has 151,763 recorded births among girls since 1956, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #481 as of the latest data, more common than 97% of girls, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1956 to 2025.
- #481 among girls today
- 151,763 born since 1956
- 2000s peak decade
- 97% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Destiny is currently the #481 girls' name in America, more common than 97% of girls - 151,763 born since 1956, peaking in the 2000s.
- #481
- among girls today
- 151,763
- born since 1956
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Destiny vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#481
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 97% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
46% of everyone ever named Destiny was born in this single decade.
2000
Single peak year
9,850 babies were named Destiny in 2000 - its busiest year on record.
How Destiny compares
151,763 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Destiny's all-time total is 397x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Destiny | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 151,763 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 9,850 | 48 | 19,840 |
Destiny's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Destiny splits its recorded history at 1992: 92% of all births land in the more recent half, 8% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1956 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2000 peak of 9,850 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Destiny at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2000
Current rank
#481
Active since
1956
Destiny popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1956–2025
- Peak year (2000)
- 9,850
- Annual births at peak, across 70 years of records
Destiny popularity over time - boys
526 total births recorded since 1975 (Destiny as boys' name)
Destiny by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Destiny's strongest decade.
69,815 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 46% of all-time use.
Destiny births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 16
1950s
16 births
- 1960s 137
1960s
137 births
- 1970s 1,612
1970s
1,612 births
- 1980s 6,542
1980s
6,542 births
- 1990s
1990s
48,238 births
- 2000s
2000s
69,815 births
- 2010s 21,104
2010s
21,104 births
- 2020s 4,299
2020s
4,299 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 69,815 births (46% of all-time use).
How Destiny 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 Destiny's total volume
Destiny vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Destiny by state
Where Destiny concentrates geographically, total births since 1956
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 20,846 | 13.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 17,020 | 11.2% |
| #3 | Florida | | 8,686 | 5.7% |
| #4 | New York | | 8,421 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 6,492 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 5,885 | 3.9% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 5,482 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 5,460 | 3.6% |
California share of Destiny's total US births 13.7%
Even split
20,846 of 151,763 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Destiny appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Destiny? ▼
Destiny has been given to 151,763 babies in the U.S. since 1956, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #481 as of the latest data. 9,850 babies were born in 2000, its single highest year.
When was Destiny most popular? ▼
Destiny was most popular in the 2000s decade with 69,815 total births. The single peak year was 2000.
Where is Destiny most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Destiny are California (20,846 births), Texas (17,020 births), Florida (8,686 births).
How long has the name Destiny been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Destiny since 1956 -- 70 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Destiny? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Desiree, Destinee, Desirae, Dessie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Destiny's data
- Destiny's decade-level peak was the 2000s (69,815 total births); usage has since declined to 4,299 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Destinys (20,846 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Destiny
Nearby Names Like Destiny
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Destiny
Desiree Girl
#1137 83,563 births
Destinee Girl
#2574 16,800 births
Desirae Girl
#2868 13,160 births
Dessie Girl
#12161 11,414 births
Destini Girl
#3844 7,857 births
Compare Destiny side by side: Destiny vs Desiree Destiny vs Destinee Destiny vs Desirae
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Destiny
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, 1956–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Destiny: #481 Girls' Name - 151,763 Births, Peak 2000." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/destiny. 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 Destiny 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.