NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Dejan

A Serbian masculine name derived from a Slavic root meaning "gift.".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Dejan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Dejan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5119, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1999, with 6 births.

This profile covers 53 England and Wales registrations across 14 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 53 living people in the UK are called Dejan. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Dejan ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1999, when 6 boys were registered as Dejan.
  • About 53 living people in the UK are estimated to have Dejan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5119

2024

Births in 2024

3

Latest year

Peak year

1999

6 births

Estimated living

53

2026

Meaning

What does Dejan mean?

The name Dejan is of Slavic origin, specifically from the Serbian language. It is derived from the older Slavic root "dej," which means "to give." This name likely originated in the early medieval period among the Serbs and other South Slavic peoples.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Dejan can be found in the medieval Serbian epic poem "The Mountain Wreath" by Petar Petrović Njegoš, which was written in the early 19th century. The poem features a character named Dejan who is a Serbian warrior.

In the 11th century, there was a Byzantine prince named Dejan who ruled the principality of Duklja, which was located in present-day Montenegro. He is considered one of the first rulers of the Serbian medieval state.

Another notable historical figure with the name Dejan was Dejan Milutinović, a Serbian military leader and politician who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He played a significant role in the Serbian uprising against the Ottoman Empire.

In the world of sports, Dejan Savićević was a celebrated Montenegrin football player who played for various clubs, including AC Milan and Red Star Belgrade, throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He was also a member of the Yugoslav national team.

Dejan Petković is a Serbian actor and director who has appeared in numerous films and television shows since the 1980s. Some of his most notable works include the films "Underground" and "The Trap."

The name Dejan has also been used by several writers and poets throughout history, such as Dejan Medaković, a Serbian poet and literary critic who lived in the 20th century, and Dejan Stojanović, a contemporary Serbian writer and journalist.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Dejan over time

The chart below shows babies named Dejan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Dejan, the clearest high point is 1999. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 6 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Dejan
02356199620102024

Decades

Dejan by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Dejan was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #5119 3 1
2010s #4536 16 5
2000s #2926 25 6
1990s #2357 9 2

Related

Names similar to Dejan

FAQ

Dejan: questions and answers

How popular is the name Dejan in the UK right now?

In 2024, Dejan was ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Dejan most popular?

The peak year on record was 1999, with 6 babies registered as Dejan in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Dejan?

A Serbian masculine name derived from a Slavic root meaning "gift.".

How many people are called Dejan in the UK?

A total of 53 babies have been registered as Dejan across the 14 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.