Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1898

Dewey

Meaning Possibly from a place name in Northern France, Douai Gender Boy · 2% girls Rank 2025 #3,870 Trend → Stable

Possibly from a place name in Northern France, Douai.

Rank 2025
#3,870
among boys · ↓242 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
28
named Dewey · -10% vs 2024
How common
1 in 61,003
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1898
1,219 babies
All-time total
34,920
#626 all-time among boys
First recorded
1887
in Social Security records

Dewey popularity over time

34,920 babies have been named Dewey since 1887, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
2.557.51018801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 25 25 3 – #532
1890s 141 1,921 2,062 206 +8148% #19
1900s 39 1,320 1,359 136 -34% #75
1910s 68 2,960 3,028 303 +123% #205
1920s 146 7,224 7,370 737 +143% #181
1930s 104 5,328 5,432 543 -26% #205
1940s 38 5,372 5,410 541 0% #213
1950s 11 3,831 3,842 384 -29% #333
1960s – 2,627 2,627 263 -32% #452
1970s – 1,635 1,635 164 -38% #535
1980s – 921 921 92 -44% #758
1990s – 492 492 49 -47% #1,374
2000s – 317 317 32 -36% #2,755
2010s – 234 234 23 -26% #3,318
2020s (to 2025) – 166 166 28 +18% #3,315

Where Dewey is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 28 0.02 outside top 500
2027 28 0.02 outside top 500
2028 28 0.02 outside top 500
2029 28 0.02 outside top 500
2030 28 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Dewey

Dewey is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,870 in 2025 with 28 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1887, 34,920 American babies have been named Dewey. Its peak came in 1898, when 1,219 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the late 1800s.

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 Dewey stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Dewey?

The median living Dewey is about 67 years old; half are between 53 and 78. An estimated 12 thousand people named Dewey are alive in the United States today.

median 67 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Dewey 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 – – 28 #3,870
2024 – – 31 #3,628
2023 – – 23 #4,492
2022 – – 19 #5,073
2021 – – 35 #3,315
2020 – – 30 #3,594
2019 – – 28 #3,824
2018 – – 26 #4,020
2017 – – 28 #3,800
2016 – – 16 #5,614
2015 – – 17 #5,352
2014 – – 17 #5,305
2013 – – 28 #3,684
2012 – – 33 #3,318
2011 – – 21 #4,540
2010 – – 20 #4,719
2009 – – 25 #4,065
2008 – – 36 #3,176
2007 – – 42 #2,830
2006 – – 27 #3,706
2005 – – 30 #3,336
2004 – – 38 #2,755
2003 – – 30 #3,137
2002 – – 33 #2,834
2001 – – 24 #3,533
2000 – – 32 #2,820
1995 – – 36 #2,221
1990 – – 65 #1,386
1985 – – 67 #1,138
1980 – – 134 #758
1975 – – 164 #630
1970 – – 228 #535
1965 – – 271 #473
1960 – – 318 #452
1955 – – 403 #362
1950 6 #4,872 393 #340
1945 – – 478 #273
1940 9 #3,017 542 #229
1935 12 #2,464 503 #231
1930 18 #1,958 653 #205
1925 18 #2,132 798 #181
1920 11 #2,956 619 #208
1915 – – 286 #301
1910 – – 87 #261
1905 – – 99 #184
1900 9 #1,346 345 #75
1895 – – 28 #349
1890 – – 16 #464
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Dewey, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Dewey?

The median living Dewey is about 67 years old. Half of all living Deweys are between 53 and 78 years old.

How many people named Dewey are alive today?

An estimated 12 thousand people named Dewey are alive in the United States, based on 34,920 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Dewey mean?

Possibly from a place name in Northern France, Douai.

How popular is the name Dewey in 2025?

Dewey ranked #3,870 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 28 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Dewey?

34,920 babies have been named Dewey in the United States since 1887, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Dewey most popular?

Dewey peaked in 1898, when 1,219 newborns received the name.

Is Dewey a boy or girl name?

Dewey is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 98% of babies with the name.

Is the name Dewey rising or falling?

Dewey is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Dewey become more popular?

Dewey looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 28 boys named Dewey in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Dewey

Names that sound and feel close to Dewey: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Dewey with similar names → More names starting with D →