Deetra
A feminine name derived from the Dutch word "dieter", meaning "ruler of the people".
Name Census estimates that about 159 living Americans carry the first name Deetra. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Deetra today is around 54 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Deetra births was 1972 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Deetra. 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.
People living today
159
~ 1 in 2,155,688 Americans
Peak year
1972
11 babies that year
Average age
54
years old
1992 SSA rank
#12,154
Tracked since 1944
Census
Deetra in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 199 people with the first name Deetra, which placed it at #38,518 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#38,518
National first-name rank
People counted
199
199 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
60.8% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Deetra
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Deetra is Black at 60.8%. The next largest groups are White (31.2%) and Hispanic (3.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Deetra described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Deetra at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American60.8% · 121
- White31.2% · 62
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 3
- Two or more races1.0% · 2
Popularity
Deetra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Deetra from the 1940s through to the 1990s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 80 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Deetra 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 Deetra 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 Deetra
The name Deetra has its origins in ancient Sanskrit, with its roots traced back to the sacred Vedic texts of Hinduism. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "ditra," which translates to "divine light" or "celestial radiance." This connection to the divine is a testament to the reverence and spiritual significance associated with the name in its earlier forms.
During the classical period of Indian history, the name Deetra was found in various Hindu scriptures and mythological tales. One notable reference is in the Mahabharata, where a minor character bearing this name is described as a wise and enlightened sage. This literary mention serves as an early documented example of the name's usage and its association with wisdom and enlightenment.
The earliest recorded individual with the name Deetra dates back to the 6th century CE. Deetra Bhatta was a renowned Sanskrit scholar and grammarian who made significant contributions to the study of the ancient language. His works on grammar and linguistics were widely revered and influential during his time.
In the 12th century, Deetra Mishra, a prominent Hindu philosopher and theologian, gained recognition for his interpretations of the Upanishads and his teachings on the nature of consciousness. His writings and discourses had a profound impact on the spiritual and intellectual landscapes of medieval India.
During the Mughal era, the name Deetra found its way into the annals of history through the life of Deetra Khan, a skilled military commander who served under the reign of Emperor Akbar in the 16th century. His strategic acumen and valor on the battlefield earned him a place among the notable figures of that era.
In the 19th century, Deetra Sharma, a renowned Indian poet and writer, gained widespread acclaim for her poignant works that explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition. Her literary contributions left an indelible mark on the cultural fabric of her time and continue to inspire generations of writers to this day.
These historical figures, spanning various epochs and disciplines, demonstrate the rich tapestry of meanings and connotations associated with the name Deetra. From its sacred origins to its representation in religious texts, scholarly works, and cultural narratives, the name has carried a sense of divinity, wisdom, and intellectual prowess throughout the ages.
People
Deetra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Deetra 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
Deetra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Deetra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 159 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Deetra 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 2,155,688 US residents.
Is Deetra a common name?
We classify Deetra as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 183 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Deetra most popular?
The single biggest year for Deetra was 1972, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Deetra is about 54 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Deetra in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 199 people with the name Deetra, or 0.07 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #38,518 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Deetra in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Deetra?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Deetra appears almost entirely female. Of the 201 people counted with this name, 99.0% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Deetra?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Deetra is Black at 60.8%. The next largest groups are White (31.2%) and Hispanic (3.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Deetra most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Deetra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.8% (121 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Deetra in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Deetra a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Deetra 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 Deetra still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Deetra 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 Deetra 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.
How many people have the name Deetra?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Deetra on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.