Desir
A surname that may reflect the French word for “desire,” though its exact family-history origin is not well established from the available evidence.
The #7,803 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 72,800 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The most plausible explanation is that Desir comes from French désir, meaning “desire” or “wish,” probably as a surname based on a personal name, nickname, or an ornamental adoption of a positive word. In French, the word ultimately goes back to Latin desiderium, “longing” or “wish.” Because the excerpts provided do not include an actual dictionary entry for Desir, this remains a cautious, pattern-based interpretation rather than a demonstrated historical derivation.
History
The name is most likely French in origin and may have entered English-language records through French-speaking communities or migration. In modern usage, Desir is also found in Haitian and other Francophone contexts, where it may reflect the same French-language surname tradition. The available historical excerpts do not specifically document the surname’s etymology, so the deeper family-history trail is uncertain.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
French désir is the same everyday word used in phrases meaning “wish” or “longing,” which makes this surname feel especially vivid and personal.
From the historical record
“have come to tlie Lombards through two causes. When we find the Napoleons in alliance with the Gibellines (more evidences thereof would be desir- able), the question arises whether or not this is accidental. Napoleon is the older name"^^ and more nearly expresses the correct form. I cannot account for its…”
— The Teutonic Name-System applied to the family names of France, England and Germany