Derise
Feminine variant of "Derrick", a Germanic name meaning "gifted ruler".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Derise. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Derise today is around 68 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Derise births was 1954 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Derise. 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 Derise is about 68 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Derises were born before 1968.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Derise. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1954
5 babies that year
Average age
68
years old
1964 SSA rank
#6,997
Tracked since 1954
Popularity
Derise: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Derise from the 1950s through to the 1960s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 10 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1950s peak, Derise remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Derise 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 Derise 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 Derise
The given name Derise is believed to have originated from the Old French language, likely emerging during the Middle Ages in the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be a derivation of the name Derises, which itself is a combination of the Germanic elements "der" and "ise," possibly meaning "noble" or "respected."
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Derise can be found in the 14th-century French epic poem "Le Roman de la Rose," where it was used as a character's name. This suggests that the name was already in circulation among French-speaking populations during that time period.
In the 16th century, a notable individual named Derise Brinon (1532-1598) gained recognition as a prominent French Renaissance scholar and translator. She was known for her translations of works by ancient Greek authors such as Plutarch and Xenophon.
Moving into the 17th century, Derise Cartier (1598-1672) was a French artist and engraver who was active in Paris during the reign of Louis XIV. Her engravings and etchings were highly regarded, and she is remembered as one of the few female artists of that era to achieve considerable success.
Another historical figure with the name Derise was Derise Laporte (1718-1789), a French botanist and horticulturist who made significant contributions to the study of plants. She was particularly interested in the cultivation of rare and exotic species, and her work helped establish the botanical gardens in Paris as a renowned center for plant research.
In the 19th century, Derise Duval (1833-1892) was a French novelist and playwright who gained popularity for her works exploring themes of love, passion, and societal norms. Her novels, such as "La Femme de Feu" and "Le Roman d'une Honnête Femme," were widely read and acclaimed for their daring and unconventional narratives.
While the name Derise has historically been more prevalent in France and other French-speaking regions, it has also been used occasionally in other parts of Europe and beyond, although with less frequency compared to its French origins.
People
Derise + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Derise 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
Derise: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Derise?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Derise 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Derise a common name?
We classify Derise as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% 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 Derise most popular?
The single biggest year for Derise was 1954, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Derise is about 68 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 Derise in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Derise a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Derise 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 Derise still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Derise 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 Derise 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 Derise?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.