Boys' name · peaked in 2024
Dawson name popularity since 1925
53,729 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Dawson (2.6% girls, 97.4% boys). Half of them were born in 2012 or earlier, so the typical Dawson is about 14 years old in 2026. Dawson peaked in 2024 as the #139 name for boys, and it ranked #143 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 53,729
- Named Dawson, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #143
- for boys in 2025 (2,487 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 97.4% boys
- 1,397 girls · 52,332 boys
- Most popular in
- Idaho
- 3.17× its national share
Peak year is the year Dawson 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.
Dawson births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year by count was 1999. Measured as a share of all babies, Dawson peaked in 2024.
- Fastest rise: Between 1994 and 1999, Dawson became 18× more common, from 1 in 12,200 baby boys to 1 in 685.
- Steepest fall: Between 1999 and 2004, its share of baby boys fell by 39%, from 1 in 685 to 1 in 1,130.
Shaded on the chart. Both compare Dawson's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Dawson.
Decade by decade
Babies named Dawson 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 | 0 | 137 | – |
| 1930s | 0 | 231 | #1,302 |
| 1940s | 0 | 264 | #1,711 |
| 1950s | 0 | 233 | #1,988 |
| 1960s | 0 | 159 | #2,391 |
| 1970s | 0 | 211 | #2,386 |
| 1980s | 0 | 354 | #1,767 |
| 1990s | 52 | 5,750 | #897 |
| 2000s | 261 | 16,868 | #221 |
| 2010s | 547 | 14,803 | #238 |
| 2020–25 | 537 | 13,322 | #143 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
48.2% of babies named Dawson from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Gen Alpha years (2013–2025). The full split by generation:
Where Dawson is most popular
The index compares Dawson'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 Dawson.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 3.17× | 642 |
| South Dakota | 3.12× | 506 |
| Utah | 2.78× | 1,203 |
| North Dakota | 2.72× | 436 |
| Montana | 2.57× | 383 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 1999 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Dawson's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Dawson.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Dawson (2024).
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