Devette
Feminine diminutive form of the French name Deva, meaning "goddess".
Name Census estimates that about 47 living Americans carry the first name Devette. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Devette today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Devette births was 1966 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Devette. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Devette. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
47
~ 1 in 7,292,645 Americans
Peak year
1966
9 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
1987 SSA rank
#11,786
Tracked since 1963
Popularity
Devette: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Devette from the 1960s through to the 1980s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 38 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Devette 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 Devette 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 Devette
The name Devette finds its roots in the Old French language, originating during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word "devotus," meaning devoted or pious. The name was initially a feminine form of the masculine name Dévot, which was a common name among the French nobility during the 12th and 13th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Devette can be found in the Chartres Cathedral in France, where a stained-glass window from the 13th century depicts a figure named "Devette de Chartres." This suggests that the name was in use among the upper classes of French society during that time period.
In the 14th century, a nun named Devette de Montreuil is mentioned in the records of the Montreuil Abbey in Normandy, France. Her life and dedication to religious service may have contributed to the association of the name with piety and devotion.
During the Renaissance period, the name gained some popularity among the French aristocracy. One notable figure was Devette de Montmorency, a noblewoman born in 1512, who was known for her patronage of the arts and her involvement in the French court.
Another historical figure bearing the name was Devette de La Vallière, a French courtesan who lived in the 17th century. She is remembered for her relationship with King Louis XIV of France and her subsequent retirement to a convent, reflecting the name's connection to devotion and religious life.
In the 18th century, Devette Desmoulins, a French writer and political activist, played a significant role in the events leading up to the French Revolution. Her passionate writings and speeches embodied the devotion and determination associated with the name.
While the name Devette has fallen out of common usage in modern times, its historical significance and association with piety, devotion, and the French cultural heritage remain an integral part of its legacy.
People
Devette + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Devette 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
Devette: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Devette?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 47 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Devette 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 7,292,645 US residents.
Is Devette a common name?
We classify Devette as "Very Rare". It ranks above 53.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 55 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Devette most popular?
The single biggest year for Devette was 1966, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Devette is about 57 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 Devette in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Devette a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Devette 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 Devette still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Devette 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 Devette 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 share the name Devette?
You can see how many Americans are named Devette on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.