Destiny
Girl name · #635 in 2025 · Rare
Destiny ranks #635 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 458 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #186, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 3,930 girls born in 2025 was named Destiny.
The 69-year story
Destiny first appears in the Social Security records in 1956, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2000, when 9,850 girls were named Destiny — good for #24 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 Destiny per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Destiny against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Destiny in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Destiny is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Destiny will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Destiny is most common
Geography matters for names, and Destiny is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Destiny is most common in NJ (0.5 per 1,000), FL (0.5 per 1,000), TX (0.5 per 1,000), IN (0.4 per 1,000), WA (0.4 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.4 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Destiny is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Destiny
Statistically, parents drawn to Destiny tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Cassidy, Sydney, Mikayla, Kassidy, and Kaitlyn.
CassidySydneyMikaylaKassidyKaitlynHaleyAlexisSierra
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Destiny | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 458 | #635 |
| 2024 | 643 | #481 |
| 2023 | 708 | #438 |
| 2022 | 798 | #391 |
| 2021 | 801 | #392 |
| 2020 | 891 | #347 |
| 2019 | 1,052 | #309 |
| 2018 | 1,206 | #275 |
| 2017 | 1,389 | #226 |
| 2016 | 1,603 | #203 |
| 2015 | 1,733 | #186 |
| 2014 | 2,077 | #156 |
| 2013 | 2,314 | #138 |
| 2012 | 2,720 | #113 |
| 2011 | 3,273 | #90 |
| 2010 | 3,737 | #71 |
| 2009 | 4,617 | #56 |
| 2008 | 5,320 | #47 |
| 2007 | 5,742 | #41 |
| 2006 | 6,313 | #36 |
| 2005 | 6,894 | #32 |
| 2004 | 6,546 | #38 |
| 2003 | 6,977 | #37 |
| 2002 | 7,804 | #34 |
| 2001 | 9,752 | #22 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Destiny a popular girl name?
Destiny ranked #635 among girls in 2025 with 458 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #186.
When was the name Destiny most popular?
Destiny peaked in 2000, when 9,850 American girls received the name (ranked #24 that year). Since 2000 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Destiny?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 3,930 newborn American girls was named Destiny. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it 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.