ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1900

First Year

2019

Last Year

1972

Peak Year

#3894

Peak Rank

379

Total Count

51

Years Active

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## Meaning & Origin of Desta

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. 

Desta is a name with a single cultural origin: Amharic.

Origin data from [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/). 

### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

* Amharic

📖

## The Story of Desta

American parents first put Desta on the record books as a baby girl name in 1900, with 8 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1972, when 15 Destas were born — ranking #3,894 that year. Desta last appeared in the published SSA data in 2019, with 10 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 379 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1900s to the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

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## Names that sound like Desta

Phonetically similar names — useful when Desta is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* Desto
* Dosta
* Testa
* [Dusty](/dusty)
* [Dusti](/dusti)
* Disty
* Disto
* [Destine](/destine)
* Dest
* [Dessa](/dessa)
* [Deta](/deta)
* [Desa](/desa)

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Desta

What does the name Desta mean?

Desta is a name with a single cultural origin: Amharic.

What is the origin of the name Desta?

Desta has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Amharic.

How popular is Desta in 2026?

In 2026, Desta ranks #9,732 among girls' names in the U.S., with 10 babies given the name that year.

When was Desta most popular?

Desta reached its peak popularity in 1972, ranking #3,894 that year with 15 babies given the name.

Is Desta a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Desta is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Desta?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Desta include Marea, Rochella, Cheralyn. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👧MareaPeak #3894](/marea)[👧RochellaPeak #3894](/rochella)[👧CheralynPeak #3894](/cheralyn)[👧LatrisaPeak #3894](/latrisa)[👧BuffeyPeak #3894](/buffey)[👧SherhondaPeak #3894](/sherhonda)[👧NickcolePeak #3894](/nickcole)[👧TamykaPeak #3894](/tamyka)

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## About the name Desta 

Desta is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1900 and has accumulated 379 births in the dataset. Desta's peak popularity came in 1972 when it ranked #3,894\. Use the chart and map above to compare Desta's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1972 → ](/year/1972)
* [ Names of the 1970s → ](/decade/1970s)
* [ Names starting with "D" → ](/letter/d)
* [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
* Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides. 

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