Given name
Desmona
“an ill-fated woman”
Desmona is a variant of Desdemona. One Greek interpretation is “an ill-fated woman.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Desmona is a variant of Desdemona. One Greek interpretation is “an ill-fated woman.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Desmona is a variant of Desdemona. A possible origin is Greek, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1970. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Desmona is a variant of Desdemona. The history of Desdemona gives this family its wider story. Desdemona is Othello’s wife in Shakespeare’s tragedy. Her fate forms part of the name’s literary history; the proposed derivation from Greek dysdaimon, “ill-starred,” fits that narrative but should remain qualified.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Desmona through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 27
- 0 boys · 27 girls
- Most popular year
- 1973
- 6 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 6 in 1979. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Desmona’s family of names
Desmona has a related form in Desdemona.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Desmona, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Larina
“lara” · “one who is protected; a cheerful woman”
>99% girls
Loredana
Loredana connects an Italian literary heroine with an older Venetian surname.
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Darsey
“having dark features” · “a dark beauty”
>99% girls
Jenina
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Cedrina
“one who is kind and loved”
>99% girls
Sharona
“rose of Sharon” · “from the plains; a flowering shrub”
>99% girls
Cambra
“resembling the jewe!”
>99% girls
Rolanda
“well-known throughout the land” · “from the renowned land”
1% boys · 99% girls