Delean
A feminine name meaning "from the elm trees" in Spanish origin.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Delean. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Delean today is around 79 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Delean births was 1921 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Delean. 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 Delean is about 79 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Deleans were born before 1957.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Delean. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1921
5 babies that year
Average age
79
years old
1958 SSA rank
#6,307
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Delean: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Delean from the 1920s through to the 1950s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 5 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
Delean 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 Delean 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 Delean
The name Delean is a relatively obscure one, with its origins shrouded in mystery. Some scholars believe it traces its roots to ancient Greek, derived from the word "deleos," meaning "alluring" or "beguiling." Others suggest it may have its foundations in early Celtic languages, with possible connections to the word "dealan," signifying "radiant" or "brilliant."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Delean can be found in the ancient Greek epic poem, "The Iliad," where it is mentioned as a minor character. However, the context and significance of this character remain unclear, leaving much room for speculation.
Throughout history, the name Delean has been worn by a handful of notable individuals. One such figure was Delean of Ephesus, a renowned Greek philosopher who lived in the 4th century BCE. He was known for his teachings on ethics and virtue, and his works were widely studied in ancient times.
In the medieval period, a monk named Delean of Clairvaux gained recognition for his scholarly contributions to theology and his dedication to monastic life. He lived in the 12th century and was a contemporary of the famous French abbot, Bernard of Clairvaux.
The Renaissance era saw the rise of Delean Mirabili, an Italian artist and scholar who was celebrated for his mastery of the fresco technique and his expertise in classical literature. He was born in 1451 and lived until 1518, leaving behind a legacy of beautiful artworks and scholarly writings.
In more recent times, Delean Rousseau, a French revolutionary and political philosopher, made his mark on history with his influential works on social contract theory and the concept of the "general will." He lived from 1712 to 1778 and played a pivotal role in shaping the ideologies of the French Revolution.
Finally, the 20th century saw the birth of Delean Everett, an American physicist and educator who made significant contributions to the field of quantum mechanics. Born in 1923, he is best known for his work on the "many-worlds" interpretation of quantum theory, which has had a lasting impact on modern physics.
While the name Delean may not be as widespread or recognized as some others, it holds a unique charm and a rich, if somewhat enigmatic, history that spans across cultures and centuries.
People
Delean + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Delean 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
Delean: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Delean?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Delean 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Delean a common name?
We classify Delean as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Delean most popular?
The single biggest year for Delean was 1921, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Delean is about 79 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 Delean in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Delean a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Delean 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 Delean still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Delean 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 Delean 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 are called Delean?
You can see how many Americans are named Delean on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.