Girl · #511 in 2026

Destiny

Name: Popularity of the name Destiny in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Destiny, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Destiny is a primarily feminine given name meaning "destiny", "fate", which is ultimately derived from the Late Latin word destinata. Commonly used spelling variants include Destinee, Destiney, and Destinie.

Current Rank

#511

Peak Rank

#22 (2000)

Total Babies

153K

5-Yr Trend

-37%

1956

First Year

2026

Last Year

2000

Peak Year

#22

Peak Rank

153K

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Destiny

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

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Destiny

Destiny first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1956, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2000, when 9,850 Destinys were born — ranking #24 that year. As of 2026, Destiny ranks #511 for baby girls with 598 births, falling sharply (-37%). In total, more than 153K Destinys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Destiny

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

Destini
Destine
Destinies
Destino
Destines
Destina
Distance
Distant
Destined
Destin
Distent
Dittany

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Destiny

What does the name Destiny mean?

How popular is Destiny in 2026?

In 2026, Destiny ranks #511 among girls' names in the U.S., with 598 babies given the name that year.

When was Destiny most popular?

Destiny reached its peak popularity in 2000, ranking #22 that year with 9,850 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Destiny most popular?

Destiny has historically been most popular in New Mexico, District of Columbia, Mississippi. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Destiny.

Is Destiny a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Destiny?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Destiny include Gertrude, Nora, Ruby. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Destiny

Destiny is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1956 and has accumulated 153K births in the dataset. Destiny's peak popularity came in 2000 when it ranked #22. Use the chart and map above to compare Destiny's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . 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 (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

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.