Fun Facts About the Name Dawn
- More than 290 thousand babies named Dawn: U.S. records list 290,677 babies given the name Dawn from 1880 through 2025. Even 1,040 boys received the name Dawn - about 1 boy for every 278 girls.
What Does the Name Dawn Mean?
Dawn is an English vocabulary name: it is the common noun dawn, the first light of day and the start of morning. The word goes back to Old English dagian, "to become day," a verb formed from dæg, "day." That word for "day" belongs to the Germanic group that also produced Old Norse dagr and modern German Tag. Old English also had the noun dagung for daybreak, and in Middle English the verb appears as dawen with the related noun dawing or dawning, the longer form from which the shorter modern noun dawn was eventually reduced.
The literal sense of the name is therefore "daybreak" or "the coming of day." English also uses dawn figuratively for any beginning or first appearance, and for something gradually understood, as in "it dawned on me." That figurative range is a later extension of the word, not part of its origin, and it is not the name's etymology.
Dawn Name History & Origins
Dawn belongs to the large English class of word names, such as Grace, Hope, or Rose, in which an ordinary noun is used directly as a personal name. It is not borrowed from the Greek name for the dawn goddess, Eos, or from the Latin Aurora; those are separate names with their own histories, even though they describe the same daily event.
Its use as a given name is relatively recent. The American novelist Dawn Powell, born in 1896, is an early documented bearer. During the 20th century the name became familiar in the United States, Britain, and other English-speaking countries.
The word has a devotional coloring in older English Bibles, where Latin oriens ("rising," of the sun) is rendered dayspring in Luke 1:78, an image of sunrise or dawn. Figurative phrases like "the dawn of a new era" have been current since the early modern period and reinforce the association with beginnings, but they do not change the word's basic meaning.
How Popular is the Name Dawn?
Dawn recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1970. Dawn entered the top 100 U.S. girl names in 1956.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,174 | 85 | 0.0053% |
| 2024 | #1,850 | 108 | 0.0067% |
| 2023 | #2,338 | 78 | 0.0049% |
| 2022 | #1,964 | 100 | 0.0061% |
| 2021 | #2,010 | 96 | 0.0059% |
| 2020 | #2,174 | 83 | 0.0051% |
| 2019 | #2,159 | 86 | 0.0051% |
| 2018 | #1,969 | 100 | 0.0059% |
| 2017 | #1,944 | 103 | 0.0060% |
| 2016 | #2,252 | 85 | 0.0048% |
| 2015 | #1,999 | 99 | 0.0055% |
| 2014 | #2,073 | 94 | 0.0053% |
| 2013 | #2,349 | 78 | 0.0044% |
| 2012 | #2,118 | 90 | 0.0051% |
| 2011 | #2,059 | 94 | 0.0053% |
| 2010 | #2,138 | 92 | 0.0052% |
| 2009 | #1,867 | 113 | 0.0062% |
| 2008 | #1,867 | 114 | 0.0060% |
| 2007 | #1,762 | 122 | 0.0063% |
| 2006 | #1,641 | 129 | 0.0068% |
| 2005 | #1,616 | 125 | 0.0068% |
| 2004 | #1,352 | 157 | 0.0086% |
| 2003 | #1,101 | 200 | 0.0109% |
| 2002 | #1,079 | 197 | 0.0110% |
| 2001 | #1,162 | 179 | 0.0099% |
| 2000 | #910 | 240 | 0.0132% |
| 1999 | #915 | 231 | 0.0130% |
| 1998 | #806 | 264 | 0.0149% |
| 1997 | #681 | 318 | 0.0183% |
| 1996 | #795 | 260 | 0.0148% |
| 1995 | #668 | 320 | 0.0182% |
| 1994 | #583 | 391 | 0.0219% |
| 1993 | #498 | 497 | 0.0275% |
| 1992 | #412 | 613 | 0.0332% |
| 1991 | #385 | 669 | 0.0357% |
| 1990 | #361 | 740 | 0.0390% |
| 1989 | #306 | 857 | 0.0465% |
| 1988 | #248 | 1,061 | 0.0596% |
| 1987 | #231 | 1,154 | 0.0664% |
| 1986 | #184 | 1,452 | 0.0846% |
| 1985 | #165 | 1,730 | 0.1005% |
| 1984 | #142 | 2,105 | 0.1250% |
| 1983 | #106 | 2,641 | 0.1581% |
| 1982 | #95 | 3,088 | 0.1824% |
| 1981 | #79 | 3,839 | 0.2301% |
| 1980 | #67 | 4,479 | 0.2698% |
| 1979 | #57 | 4,724 | 0.2943% |
| 1978 | #52 | 5,217 | 0.3406% |
| 1977 | #43 | 6,096 | 0.3976% |
| 1976 | #35 | 7,048 | 0.4810% |
| 1975 | #23 | 8,744 | 0.5998% |
| 1974 | #22 | 9,417 | 0.6417% |
| 1973 | #21 | 9,890 | 0.6782% |
| 1972 | #20 | 11,340 | 0.7454% |
| 1971 | #14 | 14,288 | 0.8587% |
| 1970 | #16 | 15,681 | 0.8970% |
| 1969 | #21 | 13,768 | 0.8161% |
| 1968 | #21 | 13,441 | 0.8194% |
| 1967 | #27 | 13,167 | 0.7975% |
| 1966 | #24 | 13,603 | 0.8039% |
| 1965 | #26 | 13,341 | 0.7558% |
| 1964 | #33 | 12,614 | 0.6657% |
| 1963 | #52 | 8,414 | 0.4365% |
| 1962 | #50 | 8,982 | 0.4567% |
| 1961 | #49 | 9,150 | 0.4533% |
| 1960 | #57 | 7,812 | 0.3864% |
| 1959 | #54 | 7,899 | 0.3904% |
| 1958 | #84 | 5,674 | 0.2821% |
| 1957 | #93 | 5,159 | 0.2523% |
| 1956 | #92 | 5,127 | 0.2554% |
| 1955 | #103 | 4,216 | 0.2156% |
| 1954 | #124 | 3,356 | 0.1728% |
| 1953 | #138 | 2,640 | 0.1403% |
| 1952 | #166 | 1,884 | 0.1016% |
| 1951 | #188 | 1,533 | 0.0851% |
| 1950 | #191 | 1,411 | 0.0824% |
| 1949 | #209 | 1,285 | 0.0751% |
| 1948 | #208 | 1,241 | 0.0731% |
| 1947 | #208 | 1,269 | 0.0716% |
| 1946 | #223 | 1,040 | 0.0662% |
| 1945 | #246 | 745 | 0.0570% |
| 1944 | #268 | 654 | 0.0493% |
| 1943 | #253 | 765 | 0.0548% |
| 1942 | #266 | 675 | 0.0500% |
| 1941 | #278 | 530 | 0.0439% |
| 1940 | #303 | 427 | 0.0373% |
| 1939 | #288 | 468 | 0.0427% |
| 1938 | #288 | 471 | 0.0427% |
| 1937 | #288 | 457 | 0.0429% |
| 1936 | #268 | 512 | 0.0492% |
| 1935 | #311 | 398 | 0.0380% |
| 1934 | #372 | 288 | 0.0276% |
| 1933 | #359 | 307 | 0.0305% |
| 1932 | #356 | 319 | 0.0299% |
| 1931 | #379 | 291 | 0.0273% |
| 1930 | #453 | 221 | 0.0196% |
| 1929 | #441 | 223 | 0.0200% |
| 1928 | #503 | 188 | 0.0163% |
| 1927 | #502 | 194 | 0.0163% |
| 1926 | #528 | 175 | 0.0148% |
| 1925 | #639 | 130 | 0.0107% |
| 1924 | #633 | 141 | 0.0113% |
| 1923 | #644 | 131 | 0.0109% |
| 1922 | #713 | 104 | 0.0087% |
| 1921 | #753 | 94 | 0.0076% |
| 1920 | #787 | 84 | 0.0070% |
| 1919 | #884 | 63 | 0.0056% |
| 1918 | #1,035 | 49 | 0.0042% |
| 1917 | #946 | 54 | 0.0050% |
| 1916 | #894 | 57 | 0.0055% |
| 1915 | #856 | 58 | 0.0059% |
| 1914 | #1,103 | 30 | 0.0039% |
| 1913 | #1,694 | 13 | 0.0021% |
| 1912 | #1,317 | 17 | 0.0030% |
| 1911 | #1,820 | 8 | 0.0019% |
| 1910 | #1,808 | 8 | 0.0020% |
| 1908 | #1,572 | 8 | 0.0024% |
| 1907 | #1,880 | 6 | 0.0019% |
| 1906 | #1,785 | 6 | 0.0020% |
| 1905 | #2,006 | 5 | 0.0017% |
| 1904 | #1,952 | 5 | 0.0018% |
| 1896 | #1,320 | 7 | 0.0029% |
| 1894 | #1,539 | 5 | 0.0022% |
| 1892 | #1,196 | 7 | 0.0033% |
| 1890 | #1,120 | 7 | 0.0037% |
| 1888 | #1,330 | 5 | 0.0028% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #11,209 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #9,170 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #7,991 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #7,654 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #7,489 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #5,471 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #7,181 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #5,067 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #3,933 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1985 | #4,406 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1984 | #3,760 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #2,598 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1982 | #3,147 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1981 | #2,431 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1980 | #2,749 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1979 | #2,118 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1978 | #1,730 | 31 | 0.0019% |
| 1977 | #2,140 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1976 | #2,128 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 1975 | #1,150 | 54 | 0.0035% |
| 1974 | #1,443 | 36 | 0.0023% |
| 1973 | #1,332 | 39 | 0.0025% |
| 1972 | #1,292 | 42 | 0.0026% |
| 1971 | #1,335 | 40 | 0.0023% |
| 1970 | #1,266 | 43 | 0.0023% |
| 1969 | #1,087 | 51 | 0.0029% |
| 1968 | #1,458 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 1967 | #1,138 | 43 | 0.0025% |
| 1966 | #1,379 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1965 | #1,390 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1964 | #1,291 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 1963 | #1,599 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 1962 | #1,720 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1961 | #1,746 | 22 | 0.0010% |
| 1960 | #1,701 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 1959 | #1,599 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 1958 | #1,562 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 1957 | #2,522 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1956 | #2,396 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1955 | #2,811 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1954 | #2,628 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1953 | #2,963 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1952 | #3,444 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1951 | #3,423 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1947 | #3,449 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1945 | #3,421 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1943 | #3,653 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1942 | #3,291 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1941 | #2,930 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1940 | #2,520 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1938 | #2,520 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1937 | #2,726 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1934 | #3,039 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1933 | #3,350 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1932 | #3,460 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1931 | #2,909 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1929 | #4,092 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1927 | #4,338 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1926 | #4,345 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1925 | #4,354 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1923 | #3,544 | 7 | 0.0006% |
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.
Explore More Lists with Name Dawn
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with D
Unique Short Girl Names That Start with D
How the Name Dawn 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 find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Dawn's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Dawn's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.