Fun Facts About the Name Deja
- More than 16 thousand babies named Deja: U.S. records list 16,355 babies given the name Deja from 1880 through 2025. Even 86 boys received the name Deja - about 1 boy for every 189 girls.
What Does the Name Deja Mean?
Deja is a feminine given name used mainly in the United States, generally understood as an English use of the French adverb déjà, meaning "already." The French word is formed from de ("from, since") and ja, which comes from Latin iam ("now"); its older literal sense is closer to "from now" or "before now," and it came to be used in the ordinary sense "already." In French, déjà is a common adverb and not a personal name, and the accent mark is normally dropped when the word is used as an English given name.
A second source is sometimes suggested but is not firmly established: the South Slavic masculine name Dejan and its feminine form Dejana, usually explained as coming from a Slavic verb meaning "to do, to act." A short form Deja is possible in that tradition, but there is no clear documentation that it produced the English name.
Deja Name History & Origins
The French adverb déjà became familiar to English speakers through the phrase déjà vu, literally "already seen." That expression is associated with the French writer and psychical researcher Émile Boirac, who used it in the 1870s, and it spread into general English use during the 20th century as a term for the sensation of having experienced something before. The girls' name Deja, written without the accent, follows the sound and the "already" sense of that French word.
The spelling Deja is the most common, with Dejah also in use. The form Dejah appears as the name of Dejah Thoris, the Martian princess in Edgar Rice Burroughs's A Princess of Mars (1912). That is a literary use of a similar name in a different spelling, not evidence for the origin of the modern given name.
In South Slavic usage, Deja can appear as a short form of the feminine name Dejana, the feminine counterpart of Dejan. Whether any American use of Deja comes from that tradition rather than from French is not established.
How Popular is the Name Deja?
Deja recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1996. Its best rank was #182 in 1996.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,039 | 54 | 0.0034% |
| 2024 | #2,850 | 58 | 0.0036% |
| 2023 | #2,447 | 73 | 0.0046% |
| 2022 | #2,276 | 82 | 0.0050% |
| 2021 | #2,292 | 80 | 0.0049% |
| 2020 | #2,445 | 71 | 0.0044% |
| 2019 | #2,113 | 89 | 0.0053% |
| 2018 | #2,100 | 91 | 0.0054% |
| 2017 | #1,906 | 106 | 0.0061% |
| 2016 | #1,933 | 104 | 0.0059% |
| 2015 | #1,686 | 126 | 0.0071% |
| 2014 | #1,717 | 122 | 0.0068% |
| 2013 | #1,581 | 136 | 0.0078% |
| 2012 | #1,593 | 136 | 0.0077% |
| 2011 | #1,573 | 139 | 0.0079% |
| 2010 | #1,289 | 185 | 0.0104% |
| 2009 | #970 | 274 | 0.0149% |
| 2008 | #894 | 311 | 0.0164% |
| 2007 | #678 | 433 | 0.0225% |
| 2006 | #758 | 362 | 0.0190% |
| 2005 | #749 | 358 | 0.0194% |
| 2004 | #592 | 474 | 0.0258% |
| 2003 | #507 | 565 | 0.0309% |
| 2002 | #424 | 687 | 0.0382% |
| 2001 | #350 | 853 | 0.0474% |
| 2000 | #336 | 921 | 0.0507% |
| 1999 | #271 | 1,157 | 0.0652% |
| 1998 | #245 | 1,244 | 0.0704% |
| 1997 | #216 | 1,391 | 0.0799% |
| 1996 | #182 | 1,638 | 0.0934% |
| 1995 | #205 | 1,420 | 0.0807% |
| 1994 | #825 | 245 | 0.0137% |
| 1993 | #715 | 298 | 0.0165% |
| 1992 | #742 | 285 | 0.0155% |
| 1991 | #679 | 315 | 0.0168% |
| 1990 | #746 | 278 | 0.0146% |
| 1989 | #811 | 235 | 0.0127% |
| 1988 | #676 | 286 | 0.0161% |
| 1987 | #1,340 | 102 | 0.0059% |
| 1986 | #2,151 | 49 | 0.0029% |
| 1985 | #2,959 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 1984 | #2,434 | 39 | 0.0023% |
| 1983 | #1,966 | 52 | 0.0031% |
| 1982 | #2,381 | 41 | 0.0024% |
| 1981 | #2,064 | 50 | 0.0030% |
| 1980 | #1,707 | 66 | 0.0040% |
| 1979 | #2,632 | 34 | 0.0021% |
| 1978 | #3,306 | 23 | 0.0015% |
| 1977 | #3,194 | 24 | 0.0016% |
| 1976 | #3,709 | 18 | 0.0012% |
| 1975 | #4,652 | 13 | 0.0009% |
| 1974 | #5,081 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1973 | #4,624 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1972 | #6,716 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1971 | #5,205 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1962 | #6,789 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | #11,766 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #8,517 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #8,407 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1999 | #10,282 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #9,977 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #8,379 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #6,106 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #4,579 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1991 | #8,496 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1990 | #8,414 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1989 | #8,175 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1988 | #4,876 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1979 | #6,273 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Deja Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are strong in material matters, determined and stubborn. You have good business ability. You are a good worker, steady and practical, a builder who takes responsibility well. These qualities may bring you a position of authority and power. You are a doer, down-to-earth, serious-minded, reliable, and self-disciplined; have good power of concentration. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Deja's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Deja's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.