Diarmuid
A masculine name of Irish origin meaning "freeman" or "free-man".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Diarmuid. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Diarmuid today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Diarmuid births was 2013 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Diarmuid. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Diarmuid with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Diarmuid. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2013
6 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2013 SSA rank
#11,092
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Diarmuid: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Diarmuid from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 6 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
Diarmuid 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 Diarmuid 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 Diarmuid
The name Diarmuid is an Irish masculine given name derived from the old Irish words "diar" meaning "free" or "without" and "muit" meaning "shame" or "blemish". The name is believed to have originated in the 5th or 6th century AD among the Gaelic peoples of Ireland.
One of the earliest known historical references to the name Diarmuid comes from the Irish mythological text, the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. In these tales, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne is a warrior of the Fianna and lover of the beautiful Gráinne. Their famous elopement is a central story in the cycle.
In the 6th century AD, Diarmuid mac Cerbaill was a High King of Ireland who ruled from 538 to 558 AD. He is known for codifying the Brehon Laws and promoting the spread of Christianity in Ireland during his reign.
Another notable Diarmuid from Irish history was Diarmuid MacMurrough (1110-1171), the King of Leinster. In 1167, he sought military aid from King Henry II of England, leading to the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169-1170.
The name also appears in Scottish history with Diarmuid the Galloway Man (fl. 1290s), a Scottish warrior who fought alongside William Wallace against the English during the Scottish Wars of Independence.
In more recent centuries, notable bearers of the name include Diarmuid Ó Muirithe (1924-2006), an Irish language scholar and broadcaster, and Diarmuid Connolly (born 1987), an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for the Dublin senior team.
Throughout its long history, the name Diarmuid has maintained a strong connection to Irish and Celtic culture, appearing in mythology, historical records, and continuing to be used by families today. Its origins reflect values of honor and freedom that were esteemed in ancient Irish society.
People
Diarmuid + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Diarmuid 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
Diarmuid: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Diarmuid?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Diarmuid 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 Diarmuid a common name?
We classify Diarmuid 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, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Diarmuid most popular?
The single biggest year for Diarmuid was 2013, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Diarmuid is about 15 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 Diarmuid in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Diarmuid a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Diarmuid in the SSA data are male. 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 Diarmuid still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Diarmuid 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 Diarmuid 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 common is the name Diarmuid?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Diarmuid on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.