Desire
Girl name · #2245 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Desire? In official American birth records, Desire has been tracked continuously since 1955, giving it 70 years of documented American history.
Desire ranks #2245 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 82 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2555, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 21,951 girls born in 2025 was named Desire.
The 70-year story
Desire first appears in the Social Security records in 1955, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2008, when 164 girls were named Desire — good for #1437 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Desire per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Desire against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Desire in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Desire is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Desire will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Desire is most common
State-level data for Desire is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Desire
Statistically, parents drawn to Desire tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Dezire, Danae, Unique, Klaire, and Karlee.
DezireDanaeUniqueKlaireKarleeCarleeKarlieDenisse
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Desire | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 82 | #2239 |
| 2024 | 87 | #2178 |
| 2023 | 92 | #2090 |
| 2022 | 94 | #2048 |
| 2021 | 94 | #2046 |
| 2020 | 90 | #2050 |
| 2019 | 84 | #2193 |
| 2018 | 95 | #2048 |
| 2017 | 104 | #1930 |
| 2016 | 105 | #1908 |
| 2015 | 70 | #2555 |
| 2014 | 73 | #2469 |
| 2013 | 86 | #2173 |
| 2012 | 91 | #2095 |
| 2011 | 105 | #1898 |
| 2010 | 101 | #1978 |
| 2009 | 145 | #1556 |
| 2008 | 164 | #1437 |
| 2007 | 126 | #1726 |
| 2006 | 133 | #1608 |
| 2005 | 129 | #1574 |
| 2004 | 113 | #1714 |
| 2003 | 119 | #1612 |
| 2002 | 133 | #1432 |
| 2001 | 137 | #1384 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Desire?
In official American birth records, the name Desire first appeared in 1955 (over 70 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 70 years.
Is Desire a popular girl name?
Desire ranked #2245 among girls in 2025 with 82 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2555.
When was the name Desire most popular?
Desire peaked in 2008, when 164 American girls received the name (ranked #1437 that year). Since 2008 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Desire?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 21,951 newborn American girls was named Desire. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.