The Name Desiderata

The word desiderata is plural for desideratum, and has the following meaning:

• something desired:something that is desired or felt to be essential
• something that is needed or wanted
• anything desired; that of which the lack is felt; a want generally felt and acknowledged
• something desired as a necessity; "the desiderata for a vacation are time and money"

The word was made famous by the poem written by Max Ehrmann in 1927 and popularized in the 1960s via print and songs (Les Crane in 1971 & Lazyboy in 2004). See The Poem.