boy's name
Dawson
DAW-son
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 64,914
the United States
#143
2025 births
Dawson is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "son of David." Daw was the medieval English pet form of David, and David means "beloved" — so the meaning runs back two steps.
- Dawson is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 1999, when 2,834 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,291 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1885.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Dawson over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 26 |
| 1890s | 19 |
| 1900s | 38 |
| 1910s | 220 |
| 1920s | 304 |
| 1930s | 231 |
| 1940s | 264 |
| 1950s | 233 |
| 1960s | 159 |
| 1970s | 211 |
| 1980s | 354 |
| 1990s | 5,802 |
| 2000s | 17,129 |
| 2010s | 15,350 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 13,859 |
What Dawson means
Dawson means son of Daw, and Daw stood for David in medieval English speech — the same kind of worn-down pet form that gave Dobson from Robert. David itself means beloved, from the Hebrew dod.
Where Dawson comes from
Dawson is an English patronymic from Daw, the medieval familiar form of David — the same kind of pet form that gave Dobson from Robert and Hobson from Robin. David comes from the Hebrew Dawid, connected to dod, beloved or uncle. The surname is recorded from the thirteenth century. Its modern use as a first name is almost entirely traceable to Dawson's Creek, which ran from 1998, and our records show the name's sharp climb dated precisely to that period.
Dawson in use
Our data shows Dawson peaking in 1999 — the year after Dawson's Creek began — and it first appears in our records in 1885. That gap between first record and real use is the clearest signal a name's modern life has a single external cause, the same shape we see in Jenson and Marley.
How popular is Dawson?
In 2025, Dawson was given to 2,568 babies in the United States, ranking #143 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Dawson is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Dawson
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Dawson also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Dawson over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Dawson in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Dawson
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Dawson — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Dawson
What does the name Dawson mean?
Dawson means "son of David" — Daw was the medieval English pet form of David.
Did Dawson's Creek make the name popular?
Our data shows Dawson peaking in 1999, the year after the series began. The surname itself dates from the thirteenth century.
What does David mean?
Beloved, from the Hebrew dod.
Is Dawson a girl's or a boy's name?
Dawson is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Dawson?
Dawson has 2 syllables.
Is Dawson a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Dawson currently ranks #129 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.