Dauphine
Of French origin, meaning the Princess or eldest daughter of the sovereign.
Name Census estimates that about 19 living Americans carry the first name Dauphine. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Dauphine today is around 65 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dauphine births was 1959 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dauphine. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Dauphine is about 65 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Dauphines were born before 1971.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dauphine. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
19
~ 1 in 18,039,702 Americans
Peak year
1959
10 babies that year
Average age
65
years old
1962 SSA rank
#6,010
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Dauphine: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dauphine from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 14 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dauphine by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Dauphine during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dauphine
The given name Dauphine originates from the French language and culture, with its roots dating back to the medieval period in France. Derived from the Old French word "Daufin," meaning "dolphin," the name was initially used as a title for the heir apparent to the French throne, akin to the English term "Prince of Wales."
In the 12th century, the County of Viennois in southeastern France was bequeathed to the future King of France, and the heir to the throne became known as the Dauphin of Viennois. This title was eventually shortened to Dauphin, and the name Dauphine emerged as its feminine counterpart, referring to the wife or daughter of the Dauphin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dauphine can be found in the chronicles of medieval French history, where it was borne by Dauphine of Auvergne (c. 1345-1368), who married the Dauphin of Viennois, Charles V of France. Another notable figure was Dauphine of Auvergne (c. 1460-1539), a French noblewoman and the wife of Jean de Bourbon, Count of Clermont.
In the 16th century, Dauphine de Lavedan (c. 1520-1604) was a French courtier and author who served as a lady-in-waiting to Catherine de' Medici, the Queen of France. Her memoirs provide valuable insights into the lives of the French nobility during the Renaissance period.
During the 17teenth century, Dauphine-Marie d'Auvergne (1624-1698) was a French noblewoman and the wife of François-Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, Duke of Luxembourg and Marshal of France. She played a significant role in the political and cultural circles of her time.
In the 19th century, Dauphine de Chantilly (1834-1917) was a French painter and sculptor known for her portraits and allegorical works. She exhibited at the prestigious Paris Salon and received recognition for her artistic achievements.
While the name Dauphine has its roots in French history and nobility, it has since transcended its original association with the Dauphin and has been adopted as a given name in various cultures and regions around the world, reflecting its enduring appeal and historical significance.
People
Dauphine + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dauphine as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Dauphine: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dauphine?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 19 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dauphine going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 18,039,702 US residents.
Is Dauphine a common name?
We classify Dauphine as "Very Rare". It ranks above 39.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 34 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dauphine most popular?
The single biggest year for Dauphine was 1959, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dauphine is about 65 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Dauphine in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dauphine a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dauphine in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Dauphine still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dauphine in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Dauphine can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Dauphine as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.