Desire
Girl name · #2245 in 2025 · Uniqueness 73/100
Desire ranks #2245 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 82 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2555, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 21,951 girls born in 2025 was named Desire.
The 70-year story
Desire first appears in the Social Security records in 1955, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2008, when 164 girls were named Desire — good for #1437 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Desire per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Desire against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Desire in class?
Desire scores 73 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Desire will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Desire is most common
Geography matters for names, and Desire is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Desires were FL (8), OH (7), TX (7), IL (6), NC (6). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Desire
Statistically, parents drawn to Desire tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Dezire, Danae, Unique, Klaire, and Karlee.
DezireDanaeUniqueKlaireKarleeCarleeKarlieDenisse
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Desire | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 82 | #2239 |
| 2024 | 87 | #2178 |
| 2023 | 92 | #2090 |
| 2022 | 94 | #2048 |
| 2021 | 94 | #2046 |
| 2020 | 90 | #2050 |
| 2019 | 84 | #2193 |
| 2018 | 95 | #2048 |
| 2017 | 104 | #1930 |
| 2016 | 105 | #1908 |
| 2015 | 70 | #2555 |
| 2014 | 73 | #2469 |
| 2013 | 86 | #2173 |
| 2012 | 91 | #2095 |
| 2011 | 105 | #1898 |
| 2010 | 101 | #1978 |
| 2009 | 145 | #1556 |
| 2008 | 164 | #1437 |
| 2007 | 126 | #1726 |
| 2006 | 133 | #1608 |
| 2005 | 129 | #1574 |
| 2004 | 113 | #1714 |
| 2003 | 119 | #1612 |
| 2002 | 133 | #1432 |
| 2001 | 137 | #1384 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Desire a popular girl name?
Desire ranked #2245 among girls in 2025 with 82 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2555.
When was the name Desire most popular?
Desire peaked in 2008, when 164 American girls received the name (ranked #1437 that year). Since 2008 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Desire?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 21,951 newborn American girls was named Desire. It scores 73/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.