Boys' name · peaked in 1998
Dalton name popularity since 1925
84,430 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Dalton. Half of them were born in 1999 or earlier, so the typical Dalton is about 27 years old in 2026. Dalton peaked in 1998 as the #88 name for boys, and it ranked #448 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 84,430
- Named Dalton, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #448
- for boys in 2025 (699 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.5% boys
- 422 girls · 84,008 boys
- Most popular in
- Oklahoma
- 2.42× its national share
Peak year is the year Dalton made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Dalton births per year, 1925–2025
1998 was the biggest year for Dalton both by count and as a share of all babies.
- Fastest rise: Between 1988 and 1993, Dalton became 15× more common, from 1 in 8,900 baby boys to 1 in 578.
- Steepest fall: Between 2001 and 2006, its share of baby boys fell by 53%, from 1 in 499 to 1 in 1,060.
Shaded on the chart. Both compare Dalton's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Dalton.
Decade by decade
Babies named Dalton in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 10 | 742 | – |
| 1930s | 5 | 1,421 | #453 |
| 1940s | 0 | 1,252 | #597 |
| 1950s | 0 | 1,015 | #723 |
| 1960s | 0 | 831 | #1,004 |
| 1970s | 0 | 691 | #1,233 |
| 1980s | 16 | 1,573 | #782 |
| 1990s | 188 | 35,981 | #87 |
| 2000s | 135 | 26,178 | #180 |
| 2010s | 42 | 10,533 | #328 |
| 2020–25 | 26 | 3,791 | #448 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
51.6% of babies named Dalton from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Gen Z years (1997–2012). The full split by generation:
Where Dalton is most popular
The index compares Dalton's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Dalton.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 2.42× | 2,574 |
| Kansas | 2.27× | 1,883 |
| Kentucky | 2.27× | 3,103 |
| Arkansas | 2.22× | 1,862 |
| Missouri | 2.13× | 3,780 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 1999 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Dalton's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Dalton.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Dalton (1998).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data