Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1981

Dusty

Meaning A diminutive of the male given name Dustin Gender Unisex · 30% girls Rank 2025 #3,532 Trend ↓ Falling 10%

A diminutive of the male given name Dustin.

Rank 2025
#3,532
among boys · ↑572 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
41
named Dusty · -5% vs 2024
How common
1 in 53,377
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1981
831 babies
All-time total
15,131
#1,163 all-time among boys
First recorded
1927
in Social Security records

Dusty popularity over time

15,131 babies have been named Dusty since 1927, 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
0.10.20.30.418801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – 11 11 1 – #3,668
1930s – 5 5 1 -55% #3,808
1940s 68 130 198 20 +3860% #1,189
1950s 170 707 877 88 +343% #754
1960s 277 749 1,026 103 +17% #736
1970s 1,773 1,626 3,399 340 +231% #555
1980s 1,255 3,994 5,249 525 +54% #316
1990s 499 1,884 2,383 238 -55% #642
2000s 201 924 1,125 113 -53% #1,167
2010s 136 426 562 56 -50% #2,191
2020s (to 2025) 90 206 296 49 -12% #2,838

Where Dusty 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 32 0.02 outside top 500
2027 32 0.02 outside top 500
2028 31 0.02 outside top 500
2029 31 0.02 outside top 500
2030 31 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Dusty

Dusty is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,532 in 2025 with 32 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1927, 15,131 American babies have been named Dusty, about 70% boys and 30% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1981, when 831 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1980s.

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

How old are people named Dusty?

The median living Dusty is about 42 years old; half are between 32 and 49. An estimated 14 thousand people named Dusty are alive in the United States today.

median 42 020406080100

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

Dusty 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 9 #10,316 32 #3,532
2024 17 #6,707 26 #4,104
2023 14 #7,746 34 #3,437
2022 19 #6,281 45 #2,838
2021 16 #7,041 31 #3,600
2020 15 #7,312 38 #3,034
2019 13 #8,247 37 #3,155
2018 16 #7,191 30 #3,630
2017 10 #10,168 34 #3,332
2016 14 #8,116 38 #3,077
2015 16 #7,369 48 #2,575
2014 14 #8,174 42 #2,822
2013 8 #12,317 54 #2,343
2012 17 #7,231 49 #2,528
2011 13 #8,771 34 #3,259
2010 15 #8,005 60 #2,191
2009 10 #10,902 77 #1,876
2008 13 #9,116 68 #2,044
2007 18 #7,168 81 #1,800
2006 13 #8,868 84 #1,689
2005 21 #5,876 106 #1,404
2004 21 #5,809 93 #1,470
2003 20 #5,879 93 #1,421
2002 20 #5,731 102 #1,310
2001 28 #4,353 102 #1,290
2000 37 #3,541 118 #1,167
1995 60 #2,224 223 #714
1990 55 #2,300 249 #642
1985 94 #1,375 352 #457
1980 289 #631 495 #359
1975 206 #719 148 #676
1970 103 #1,137 138 #707
1965 20 #2,766 77 #839
1960 13 #3,550 90 #806
1955 9 #4,157 78 #831
1950 13 #2,946 41 #1,107
1945 9 #3,204 6 #3,093
1940 – – 5 #3,590
1935 – – 5 #3,808
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Dusty

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Dusty Springfield Dusty Springfield British singer (1939–1999) Contemporary
  2. 2 Dusty Rhodes Dusty Rhodes American professional wrestler (1945–2015) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Dusty?

The median living Dusty is about 42 years old. Half of all living Dustys are between 32 and 49 years old.

How many people named Dusty are alive today?

An estimated 14 thousand people named Dusty are alive in the United States, based on 15,131 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Dusty mean?

A diminutive of the male given name Dustin.

How popular is the name Dusty in 2025?

Dusty ranked #3,532 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 32 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Dusty?

15,131 babies have been named Dusty in the United States since 1927, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Dusty most popular?

Dusty peaked in 1981, when 831 newborns received the name.

Is Dusty a boy or girl name?

Dusty is used for both: about 30% of babies named Dusty have been girls and 70% boys.

Is the name Dusty rising or falling?

Dusty is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Dusty become more popular?

Dusty looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 31 boys named Dusty in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Dusty?

Well-known people named Dusty include Dusty Springfield (singer), Dusty Rhodes (wrestler).

Names like Dusty

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

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