Dawn
A female given name from English, sometimes given to a girl born at dawn.
Every Dawn since 1888 — 290,680 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Dawn
Dawn is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #2,174 in 2025 with 85 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1888, 290,680 American babies have been named Dawn. Its peak came in 1970, when 15,724 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1970s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Dawn stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Dawn year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 85 | #2,174 | — | — |
| 2024 | 108 | #1,857 | 6 | #11,251 |
| 2023 | 78 | #2,340 | — | — |
| 2022 | 100 | #1,964 | — | — |
| 2021 | 96 | #2,011 | — | — |
| 2020 | 83 | #2,176 | — | — |
| 2019 | 86 | #2,160 | — | — |
| 2018 | 100 | #1,969 | — | — |
| 2017 | 105 | #1,918 | — | — |
| 2016 | 85 | #2,252 | — | — |
| 2015 | 99 | #1,999 | — | — |
| 2014 | 94 | #2,074 | — | — |
| 2013 | 78 | #2,350 | — | — |
| 2012 | 90 | #2,118 | — | — |
| 2011 | 94 | #2,059 | — | — |
| 2010 | 92 | #2,138 | — | — |
| 2009 | 113 | #1,868 | — | — |
| 2008 | 114 | #1,867 | — | — |
| 2007 | 122 | #1,762 | — | — |
| 2006 | 130 | #1,630 | — | — |
| 2005 | 125 | #1,616 | — | — |
| 2004 | 157 | #1,352 | — | — |
| 2003 | 200 | #1,101 | — | — |
| 2002 | 197 | #1,079 | — | — |
| 2001 | 179 | #1,162 | — | — |
| 2000 | 240 | #910 | — | — |
| 1995 | 319 | #668 | 5 | #9,171 |
| 1990 | 740 | #361 | 9 | #5,471 |
| 1985 | 1,730 | #165 | 9 | #4,406 |
| 1980 | 4,479 | #67 | 17 | #2,749 |
| 1975 | 8,744 | #23 | 54 | #1,150 |
| 1970 | 15,681 | #16 | 43 | #1,266 |
| 1965 | 13,344 | #26 | 31 | #1,390 |
| 1960 | 7,813 | #57 | 23 | #1,701 |
| 1955 | 4,216 | #103 | 9 | #2,812 |
| 1950 | 1,411 | #191 | — | — |
| 1945 | 745 | #246 | 5 | #3,421 |
| 1940 | 427 | #303 | 9 | #2,520 |
| 1935 | 398 | #311 | — | — |
| 1930 | 221 | #453 | — | — |
| 1925 | 130 | #639 | 5 | #4,354 |
| 1920 | 84 | #787 | — | — |
| 1915 | 58 | #856 | — | — |
| 1910 | 8 | #1,808 | — | — |
| 1905 | 5 | #2,006 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | 7 | #1,120 | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Dawn
- Dawn Fraser Politician · b. 1937
- Dawn French Actor · b. 1957
- Dawn Wells Actor · b. 1938
- Dawn Staley Basketball player · b. 1970
- Dawn Harper-Nelson Athlete · b. 1984
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Dawn mean?
A female given name from English, sometimes given to a girl born at dawn.
How popular is the name Dawn in 2025?
Dawn ranked #2,174 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 85 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Dawn?
290,680 babies have been named Dawn in the United States since 1888, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Dawn most popular?
Dawn peaked in 1970, when 15,724 newborns received the name.
Is Dawn a boy or girl name?
Dawn is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Dawn rising or falling?
Dawn has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Dawn?
Well-known people named Dawn include Dawn Fraser (politician), Dawn French (actor), Dawn Wells (actor).