Detroit
Detroit is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from the Canadian city of Windsor, Ontario. It is the 26th-most populous city in the United States and the largest U.S. city on the Canada–United States border, with a population of 639,111 at the 2020 census.
Meaning & Origin of Detroit
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Detroit is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from the Canadian city of Windsor, Ontario. It is the 26th-most populous city in the United States and the largest U.S. city on the Canada–United States border, with a population of 639,111 at the 2020 census.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Origin & history
The Story of Detroit
Detroit first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1914, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1922, when 12 Detroits were born — ranking #2,486 that year. As of 2026, Detroit ranks #10,860 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 148 Detroits have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Detroit
Phonetically similar names — useful when Detroit is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Detrite
- Diderot
- Detrude
- Titrate
- Destroyed
- Distraught
- Deterred
- Detract
- Derate
- Distrait
- Detat
- Detra
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Detroit
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About the name Detroit
Detroit is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1914 and has accumulated 148 births in the dataset. Detroit's peak popularity came in 1922 when it ranked #2,486. Use the chart and map above to compare Detroit's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1922 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "D" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.