Desire
86% girls · 14% boys
About Desire
A word associated with want, wishes, and passion, Desire has been used (occasionally) since the 16th-century, introduced by the Puritans who likely associated it with "desiring the Lord". More familiar in the form of Desiree (for girls), it could also be a short form of the Latin Desiderius.
Desire for boys#6546 US
Pronounced duh-ZYER in English, it is more commonly used in French speaking regions, spelled as Désiré, and said as DEH-ZEE-REH. A notable bearer is footballer Désiré Doué.
Desire for girls#2244 US
Believe it or not, this was a fairly common appellation in early New England, interpreted not in the sexual sense, but more in terms of desiring salvation. In modern times, the French name Desiree, pronounced dehz-ih-ray, would be more acceptable.
Pronounced dih-ZY(R).
As of October 2026, Desire ranked #6546 for boys and #2244 for girls in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #2678 for boys in 1915 and #1175 for girls in 1992.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · boys | Births · boys | US rank · girls | Births · girls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | — | 0 | #2,478 | 73 |
| 2015 | — | 0 | #2,563 | 70 |
| 2016 | — | 0 | #1,912 | 105 |
| 2017 | — | 0 | #1,932 | 104 |
| 2018 | — | 0 | #2,049 | 95 |
| 2019 | — | 0 | #2,204 | 84 |
| 2020 | — | 0 | #2,054 | 90 |
| 2021 | — | 0 | #2,047 | 94 |
| 2022 | — | 0 | #2,054 | 94 |
| 2023 | — | 0 | #2,093 | 92 |
| 2024 | — | 0 | #2,194 | 86 |
| 2025 | — | 0 | #2,244 | 82 |
World rankings
Desire for girls
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Desire.