Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1953

Dwight

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #2,774 Trend ↓ Falling 34%

Probably from a Middle English female name Diot, a pet form of Dionysia, the feminine form of Dionysius.

Rank 2025
#2,774
among boys · ↓264 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
46
named Dwight · -15% vs 2024
How common
1 in 37,132
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1953
2,708 babies
All-time total
78,907
#373 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Dwight popularity over time

78,907 babies have been named Dwight since 1880, 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
0.380.751.131.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 185 185 19 – #309
1890s – 277 277 28 +50% #269
1900s – 455 455 46 +64% #258
1910s 5 2,686 2,691 269 +491% #250
1920s 19 4,560 4,579 458 +70% #254
1930s – 4,895 4,895 490 +7% #202
1940s 23 12,864 12,887 1,289 +163% #126
1950s 90 20,848 20,938 2,094 +62% #122
1960s 87 13,010 13,097 1,310 -37% #181
1970s 61 7,003 7,064 706 -46% #231
1980s 35 5,166 5,201 520 -26% #330
1990s – 3,401 3,401 340 -35% #446
2000s – 1,723 1,723 172 -49% #773
2010s – 1,144 1,144 114 -34% #1,244
2020s (to 2025) – 370 370 62 -46% #1,817

Where Dwight 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 43 0.03 outside top 500
2027 40 0.02 outside top 500
2028 38 0.02 outside top 500
2029 37 0.02 outside top 500
2030 35 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Dwight

Dwight is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,774 in 2025 with 46 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 78,907 American babies have been named Dwight. Its peak came in 1953, when 2,708 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

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

How old are people named Dwight?

The median living Dwight is about 63 years old; half are between 48 and 72. An estimated 52 thousand people named Dwight are alive in the United States today.

median 63 020406080100

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

Dwight 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 – – 46 #2,774
2024 – – 54 #2,510
2023 – – 61 #2,296
2022 – – 57 #2,447
2021 – – 70 #2,083
2020 – – 82 #1,817
2019 – – 77 #1,921
2018 – – 93 #1,690
2017 – – 94 #1,686
2016 – – 99 #1,620
2015 – – 103 #1,570
2014 – – 129 #1,342
2013 – – 133 #1,300
2012 – – 136 #1,287
2011 – – 138 #1,253
2010 – – 142 #1,244
2009 – – 168 #1,099
2008 – – 142 #1,227
2007 – – 165 #1,106
2006 – – 161 #1,094
2005 – – 152 #1,084
2004 – – 195 #888
2003 – – 177 #928
2002 – – 162 #973
2001 – – 186 #863
2000 – – 215 #773
1995 – – 303 #588
1990 – – 493 #446
1985 10 #6,584 502 #366
1980 6 #9,406 517 #350
1975 6 #8,276 673 #286
1970 – – 1,026 #231
1965 6 #5,994 1,227 #203
1960 11 #3,979 1,720 #181
1955 6 #5,363 2,159 #142
1950 5 #5,511 1,812 #146
1945 – – 1,753 #126
1940 – – 456 #262
1935 – – 475 #242
1930 – – 542 #233
1925 – – 470 #262
1920 – – 412 #273
1915 – – 337 #263
1910 – – 55 #332
1905 – – 35 #347
1900 – – 59 #267
1895 – – 22 #419
1890 – – 24 #358
1885 – – 30 #309
1880 – – 12 #541

Famous people named Dwight

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

  1. 1 Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower World War II general, U.S. president from 1953 to 1961 1890–1969 · 19th century
  2. 2 Dwight Howard Dwight Howard American basketball player (born 1985) Contemporary
  3. 3 Dwight Yoakam Dwight Yoakam American country singer (born 1956) Contemporary
  4. 4 Dwight Yorke Dwight Yorke Trinbagonian footballer and manager b. 1971 · Contemporary
  5. 5 Dwight Schultz Dwight Schultz American actor (born 1947) Contemporary
  6. 6 Dwight McNeil Dwight McNeil English footballer (born 1999) Contemporary
  7. 7 Dwight L. Moody Dwight L. Moody American evangelist (1837–1899) 19th century
  8. 8 Dwight Powell Dwight Powell Canadian basketball player (born 1991) Contemporary
  9. 9 Dwight Gayle Soccer player, United Kingdom b. 1989 · Contemporary
  10. 10 Dwight Frye Dwight Frye American actor (1899–1943) 19th century
  11. 11 Dwight F. Davis Dwight F. Davis American politician and tennis player 1879–1945 · 19th century
  12. 12 Dwight Stones Dwight Stones American athletics competitor, high jumper, track and field commentator b. 1953 · Contemporary
  13. 13 Dwight Phillips Dwight Phillips American long jumper b. 1977 · Contemporary
  14. 14 Dwight Tiendalli Dwight Tiendalli Dutch footballer (born 1985) Contemporary
  15. 15 Dwight Lodeweges Dutch football player and manager b. 1957 · Contemporary
  16. 16 Dwight Thomas Athlete, Jamaica b. 1980 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Dwight?

The median living Dwight is about 63 years old. Half of all living Dwights are between 48 and 72 years old.

How many people named Dwight are alive today?

An estimated 52 thousand people named Dwight are alive in the United States, based on 78,907 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Dwight mean?

Probably from a Middle English female name Diot, a pet form of Dionysia, the feminine form of Dionysius.

How popular is the name Dwight in 2025?

Dwight ranked #2,774 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 46 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Dwight?

78,907 babies have been named Dwight in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Dwight most popular?

Dwight peaked in 1953, when 2,708 newborns received the name.

Is Dwight a boy or girl name?

Dwight is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Dwight rising or falling?

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

Will Dwight become more popular?

Dwight is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 35 boys named Dwight in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Dwight?

Well-known people named Dwight include Dwight D. Eisenhower (politician), Dwight Howard (basketball player), Dwight Yoakam (musician).

Names like Dwight

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

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