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Desiree

de-ZI-ray /dɪˈzɪreɪ/

At a glance

In short
Desiree is a French charmer whose very name—born from the word “désirée,” meaning “desired” or “longed-for”—wraps a parent’s hopes in a single, lyrical breath.
U.S. rank 2025
#1,427 of girl names (outside the top 1,000)
Babies in 2025
151 (<0.01% of girls)
Trend
Slipping #1,059 in 2020 #1,427 in 2025
Peak
#94 in 1983
First recorded
1910

Meaning of Desiree

Desiree is a French charmer whose very name—born from the word “désirée,” meaning “desired” or “longed-for”—wraps a parent’s hopes in a single, lyrical breath. She first stepped into the spotlight as Désirée Clary, the spirited fiancée of Napoleon who later became Queen of Sweden, and she’s kept a touch of royal confidence ever since. In modern pop culture she dances between concert stages (think soulful British singer Des’ree) and Broadway lights (the witty lead in Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music”), giving her an air of artistic sparkle. Stateside, Desiree enjoyed a high note in the 1980s and ’90s but still hums along in the mid-700s today—proof that, like a favorite love song, she never truly fades from the playlist. Elegant yet approachable, romantic yet playful, Desiree feels like a heartfelt wish come true every time it’s spoken aloud.

How to pronounce Desiree

English

French

Popularity of Desiree in the U.S.

Desiree was the #1,427 girl name in the U.S. in 2025, with 151 babies. It peaked at #94 in 1983. It first appears in the records in 1910.

Bar and line chart: Desiree in the U.S., 1910–2025. Bars: girls given the name each year, most 2,915 in 1983 and 151 in 2025. Line: rank among girl names, peak #94 in 1983, #1,427 in 2025.
  • Girls named Desiree (left scale)
  • Rank among U.S. girl names (right scale, #1 at the top)
By year, 1910–2025. Source: SSA. Download: PNG · SVG
Year-by-year table, 1910⁠–⁠2025 101 rows
YearBabiesRankvs previous year
20251511,427▼ 292
20242131,135▲ 74
20231971,209▼ 111
20222271,098▼ 18
20212321,080▼ 21
20202341,059▼ 2
20192421,057▼ 43
20182561,014▼ 49
2017273965▼ 12
2016285953▼ 148
2015349805▼ 102
2014401703▼ 86
2013453617▼ 8
2012470609▼ 15
2011485594▼ 122
2010641472▼ 31
2009715441▼ 61
2008851380▼ 53
20071,022327▼ 27
20061,103300▼ 14
20051,161286▼ 52
20041,394234▼ 19
20031,505215▼ 2
20021,550213▼ 22
20011,721191▼ 10
20001,790181▼ 8
19991,820173▼ 14
19981,999159▼ 12
19972,185147▼ 3
19962,277144▼ 12
19952,400132▼ 7
19942,546125▲ 8
19932,444133▼ 11
19922,760122▲ 4
19912,486126▼ 1
19902,575125▲ 2
19892,348127–
19882,266127▼ 3
19872,251124▲ 17
19862,006141▼ 15
19852,304126▲ 2
19842,230128▼ 34
19832,91594▲ 48
19822,097142▲ 29
19811,607171▼ 15
19801,785156▲ 14
19791,634170▼ 16
19781,809154▲ 97
1977983251▲ 24
1976837275▲ 30
1975753305▲ 1
1974772306▲ 4
1973752310▼ 2
1972785308▲ 30
1971752338▼ 5
1970788333▼ 8
1969772325▼ 4
1968731321▲ 2
1967732323▼ 9
1966798314▼ 4
1965855310▲ 31
1964780341▼ 13
1963819328▲ 74
1962572402▲ 10
1961560412▲ 8
1960532420▲ 7
1959499427▼ 11
1958502416▲ 6
1957492422▼ 49
1956556373▼ 64
1955766309▲ 675
195498984▲ 292
1953581,276▲ 470
1952321,746▼ 6
1951311,740▲ 24
1950291,764▲ 203
1949241,967▼ 14
1948241,953▼ 90
1947271,863▲ 365
1946182,228▲ 370
1945122,598▲ 780
194483,378▲ 115
194383,493▼ 507
1942102,986▲ 968
194163,954▼ 1,382
1940112,572▲ 573
193983,145▼ 415
1938102,730back
193563,742▼ 293
193473,449back
193254,411back
193064,047back
192873,743▼ 884
1927112,859back
1925122,778▲ 1,656
192464,434back
1921103,164▲ 1,234
192064,398▼ 1,179
191993,219back
191162,191▲ 207
191052,398new

Desiree by state

Desiree ranks #813 in Tennessee (2025).

Map: Desiree's 2025 rank among girl names in each U.S. state
Rank among girl names by state, 2025. Source: SSA. Download: PNG · SVG
Rank by state 9 states
StateRankBabies
Tennessee8138
California1,02726
Illinois1,1137
Ohio1,1347
Texas1,22421
Florida1,24311
Pennsylvania1,3925
North Carolina1,4375
New York1,6547

Notable people named Desiree

  • Desiree Akhavan is an American filmmaker, writer, and actress best known for Appropriate Behavior and The Miseducation of Cameron Post.
  • Desiree Linden is an American distance runner and two-time Olympian who won the 2018 Boston Marathon and set the women's 50K world record.
  • Desiree Reed-Francois is an American attorney and athletics administrator who became the University of Arizona athletic director in 2024.
  • Desiree Scott is a Canadian former soccer player who won three Olympic medals, including gold in Tokyo in 2020.
  • Desiree Gruber is an American entrepreneur and television producer known for Project Runway and founding Full Picture.
More people named Desiree 9 more
  • Desiree van Lunteren is a Dutch footballer who plays as a right-back or midfielder for AZ.
  • Desiree del Valle is a Filipino-American actress born Desiree Lois del Valle Dunham-Labrusca.
  • Desiree Coleman, known as Kadesh, is an American singer and actress.
  • Desiree Rogers is an American business executive, former White House Social Secretary under Barack Obama, and CEO of Black Opal cosmetics.
  • Desiree Rancatore is an Italian soprano known for her performances on opera and concert stages across Europe.
  • Desiree Nosbusch is a Luxembourgish actress and television presenter who hosted the 1984 Eurovision Song Contest.
  • Desiree Vila Bargiela is a Paralympic athlete and former acrobatic gymnast who competes internationally.
  • Desiree Dawson is a Canadian singer, songwriter and ukulele player who won CBC Music's Searchlight contest in 2016.
  • Desiree Cordero Ferrer is a Spanish model who won Miss Universe Spain 2014 and placed in the top 10 at Miss Universe.