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Home › Baby Names Directory › Destry

Destry

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Destry

Pronounced DES-tree /ˈdɛs.tri/Medium

Meaning: Destry is a rare given name drawn from the cowboy hero of Destry Rides Again. As a surname it is linked to the Old French destrier ('warhorse'), the mount of a knight. Its first-name use is a twentieth-century American story.Low

In 30 seconds: A cowboy name: Destry comes from the film hero, with a surname rooted in destrier ('warhorse') (said 'DES-tree'). It peaked around 1964.
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Origin LowFrench, American
MeaningDestry is a rare given name drawn from the cowboy hero of Destry Rides Again. As a surname it is linked to the Old French destrier ('warhorse'), the mount of a knight. Its first-name use is a twentieth-century American story.
U.S. rank (2023)#5114 ↗ Rising
2023 U.S. births19 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1964
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,501
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Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 196419552023

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Destry is a rare American given name taken from the cowboy hero of Destry Rides Again, a story filmed several times and made into a TV series. As a surname it links to the Old French destrier, a knight's 'warhorse'. Riding the Western craze, it peaked around 1964 (said 'DES-tree').

Never common, the name grew rare after the 1960s. It reads today as a distinctive Western-flavored pick. Bold, surname-style, and uncommon.

Did you know? Destry entered American use from the Western hero of Destry Rides Again, and the name peaked for boys around 1964, during the era of TV and movie Westerns.
Overall data confidence 42%
References — Destry — Western hero Destry Rides Again; surname from destrier 'warhorse'

Variations

DestrieDestriDestery

Nicknames

DesTrey

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Destry…

Dexter— a like Des- surname-style boys' name
Desmond— a like distinctive Des- name
Clint— a like Western-flavored vintage name
Rhett— a like bold cinematic boys' pick

Explore names like Destry

By themerarevintagesurname-namewestern

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Destry mean?

Destry comes from the Western hero of Destry Rides Again; as a surname it links to the Old French destrier ('warhorse').

How do you pronounce Destry?

It's said DES-tree /ˈdɛs.tri/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Destry a boy or girl name?

Destry has been used mostly for boys, from the Western hero.

Is Destry making a comeback?

It stays rare, though bold surname-style boys' names are in fashion.

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