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The first name Dee

A unisex name.

Pronounced /diː/ 1 syllable Unisex Also a surname

Meaning and origin

A unisex given name, short for names beginning with D.

From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Popularity

Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

Dee last appeared in the official list in 2017, given to 3 girls. It peaked in 2002, with 11 births (#1,658).

01020 1996200020052010201520202025
90
babies named Dee, 1996–2025
#5,765
rank in 2017
2002
peak year

Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Dee with other names.

Popularity in the United States

Babies named Dee at birth, 1880–2025

In 2022, 5 boys born in the United States were named Dee, the 12,788th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1961, when 623 were.

0350700 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
GirlsBoys
23,099
babies named Dee since 1880
#12,788
rank in 2022
1961
peak year

US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

Famous people named Dee

20 on Wikidata, most written-about first

  • Dee Bradley Baker
    American voice actor (born 1962)
  • Dee Wallace
    American actress, born 1948
  • Dee Brown
    American writer and historian (1908–2002)
  • Dee Rees
    American film director, screenwriter, born 1976
  • Dee Palmer
    British musician, 1937–2026
  • Dee Brown
    American basketball player (born 1984)
  • Dee Brown
    American basketball player (born 1968)
  • Dee Strange-Gordon
    American baseball player, born 1988
  • Dee Bost
    American basketball player, born 1989
  • Dee Lampton
    Actor (1898-1919)
  • Dee D. Jackson
    British singer, born 1954
  • Dee Murray
    English bassist (1946–1992)

Questions

How popular is the name Dee?
In 2017, 3 girls born in England and Wales were named Dee, ranking 5,765th. Its peak was 2002, with 11 births.
Is Dee a boy's or a girl's name?
Both. Of the 23,099 US babies named Dee since 1880, 69% were girls and 31% boys.
When was Dee most popular?
1961 in the United States, when 623 babies were named Dee, its highest rank at 387th.
How do you pronounce Dee?
Dee is /diː/, one syllable.
Is Dee also a surname?
Yes. Dee is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.