Dymphna
A girl's name of Irish origin with 98 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
Among U.S. girl's names, Dymphna is not in the current national top 1,000. In fact, it is among the rarest names in the SSA dataset — a choice that signals bold individuality.
Appearing in records from 1959 to 2020, Dymphna has a solid multi-decade track record without being a permanent fixture — it belongs to a specific chapter of American naming.
Dymphna is not in the current top 1,000 girl names nationally, making it an uncommon choice — though your state or community may differ.
Dymphna is a girl's baby name of Irish origin meaning 'eligible,' 'poet,' or 'fawn' in Irish Gaelic. Saint Dymphna is the patron saint of mental illness and nervous disorders in the Catholic tradition — a 7th-century Irish princess whose story became one of medieval Europe's most enduring hagiographies.
Dymphna is rare in modern use but carries profound spiritual meaning for Catholic families — a name associated with healing, compassion, and divine protection for those who suffer.
EtymologyShow more
Names travel. They cross oceans, change spelling, shift pronunciation, and accumulate new associations with each culture that adopts them. Dymphna is rooted in the Irish tradition, but its presence in American naming since 1959 means it has been shaped by English phonetics, local customs, and the cultural context of the families who chose it.
Dymphna’s rarity (98 recorded births) may indicate it is strongly tied to a specific cultural community or family tradition, rather than part of the broader American naming mainstream.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Dymphna has 14+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1959.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | #15758 | ▼ |
| 1970s | 23 | #8674 | ▼ |
| 1960s | 64 | #5318 | ▲ |
| 1950s | 6 | #5743 | — |
The Story of Dymphna
A Baby Boomer name
Peaking in 1961, Dymphna is a timeless Baby Boomer name. Girls named Dymphna are most likely born between 1959 and 1971.
How rare is Dymphna?
With fewer than 500 recorded births, Dymphna is an exceptionally rare name — a one-of-a-kind choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1959, peaked in the 1960s with 64 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Dymphna by the numbers
- Would fill 2 school buses
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(14 years, 1959–2020)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5 | #15758 |
| 1979 | 6 | #9308 |
| 1977 | 6 | #8740 |
| 1974 | 6 | #7960 |
| 1971 | 5 | #8686 |
| 1969 | 6 | #6859 |
| 1968 | 8 | #5267 |
| 1967 | 8 | #5111 |
| 1966 | 11 | #4025 |
| 1964 | 8 | #5135 |
| 1962 | 7 | #5445 |
| 1961 | 11 | #4080 |
| 1960 | 5 | #6624 |
| 1959 | 6 | #5743 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1959–2020