Fun Facts About the Name Dashiell
- More than 2 thousand babies named Dashiell: U.S. records list 2,850 babies given the name Dashiell from 1880 through 2025. Even 16 girls received the name Dashiell - about 1 girl for every 177 boys.
What Does the Name Dashiell Mean?
Dashiell is an English surname and given name of uncertain meaning. The surname is the older form; the given name is a transferred use of it. Its language of origin is English, though the surname may ultimately come from Old French or a Germanic personal name.
Two main explanations appear in surname scholarship. One treats Dashiell as a derivative of a medieval personal name, perhaps a diminutive of Dass or Dash; the meaning of that personal name is not securely known. The other connects it to a Norman French place name, possibly Assailly or a similar locality, with the French preposition de ("of, from") attached. On that view the literal sense would be "from Assailly," not a descriptive phrase about a tree, animal, or quality. The early spellings Dassell, Dassel, and Dashiel show that the modern form developed gradually, and neither explanation is conclusively proven.
Dashiell is not a biblical name, and its meaning is not a straightforward translation like "God is gracious" or "supplanter."
Dashiell Name History & Origins
The surname Dashiell is recorded in England in the Middle Ages and appears in several spellings, including Dassell, Dassel, and Dashiel. It belongs to the broad class of English surnames that formed from personal names, places, or nicknames, but its exact origin is not settled. The spelling with sh became the standard modern form, while the older Dassell forms continued in some records.
By the colonial period, the surname had crossed the Atlantic. Bearers of the name were present in Maryland, where the Dashiell family became established on the Eastern Shore. The name also remained in use in England. Its best-known bearer is the American writer Dashiell Hammett (1894 - 1961), author of The Maltese Falcon and other detective novels; his surname is the form that made the name familiar to a wide audience. Hammett's use is a literary association, not the origin of the surname.
As a given name, Dashiell is a transferred use of the surname, a pattern that became common in English-speaking countries in the 20th century. It remains uncommon as a first name and is used for boys, with occasional use for girls. Its history as a given name is much shorter than the surname's, and it is separate from the medieval records of the surname.
How Popular is the Name Dashiell?
Dashiell has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2015. Its best rank was #1,105 in 2015.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | #17,105 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #14,310 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #10,562 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,291 | 61 | 0.0036% |
| 2024 | #2,057 | 73 | 0.0043% |
| 2023 | #2,418 | 56 | 0.0033% |
| 2022 | #1,784 | 92 | 0.0053% |
| 2021 | #1,598 | 107 | 0.0061% |
| 2020 | #1,635 | 98 | 0.0057% |
| 2019 | #1,593 | 104 | 0.0058% |
| 2018 | #1,446 | 121 | 0.0067% |
| 2017 | #1,663 | 95 | 0.0051% |
| 2016 | #1,254 | 146 | 0.0077% |
| 2015 | #1,105 | 174 | 0.0091% |
| 2014 | #1,350 | 127 | 0.0066% |
| 2013 | #1,378 | 122 | 0.0065% |
| 2012 | #1,578 | 100 | 0.0053% |
| 2011 | #1,335 | 127 | 0.0067% |
| 2010 | #1,214 | 146 | 0.0076% |
| 2009 | #1,435 | 117 | 0.0059% |
| 2008 | #1,497 | 109 | 0.0053% |
| 2007 | #1,659 | 92 | 0.0044% |
| 2006 | #1,410 | 112 | 0.0054% |
| 2005 | #1,588 | 87 | 0.0044% |
| 2004 | #2,026 | 59 | 0.0030% |
| 2003 | #2,553 | 40 | 0.0020% |
| 2002 | #2,705 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 2001 | #3,246 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2000 | #3,166 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1999 | #2,739 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 1998 | #3,212 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1997 | #3,774 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1996 | #3,571 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1995 | #2,940 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1994 | #2,635 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 1993 | #4,066 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1992 | #4,152 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1991 | #3,359 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1990 | #2,880 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1989 | #2,164 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 1988 | #3,388 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1987 | #6,278 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #3,028 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1985 | #2,620 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1984 | #3,757 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #2,352 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1982 | #3,000 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1981 | #2,927 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1980 | #4,218 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1979 | #4,497 | 8 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Dashiell Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are strong in material matters, determined and stubborn. You have good business ability. You are a good worker, steady and practical, a builder who takes responsibility well. These qualities may bring you a position of authority and power. You are a doer, down-to-earth, serious-minded, reliable, and self-disciplined; have good power of concentration. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Dashiell's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Dashiell's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.