boy's name
Dean
DEEN
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 216,426
the United States
#125
2025 births
Dean is a boy's name with two English origins. One is topographic, from the Old English denu, meaning a valley; the other is occupational, from the church and university title dean, which comes from the Latin decanus — the head of ten.
- Dean is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1961, when 4,967 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1960s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 1,150 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Dean 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 | 148 |
| 1890s | 299 |
| 1900s | 481 |
| 1910s | 4,080 |
| 1920s | 11,721 |
| 1930s | 14,189 |
| 1940s | 16,802 |
| 1950s | 34,892 |
| 1960s | 42,811 |
| 1970s | 14,045 |
| 1980s | 8,139 |
| 1990s | 8,138 |
| 2000s | 8,048 |
| 2010s | 17,525 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 14,526 |
What Dean means
Dean means either a dweller in a valley or the holder of the office of dean. The title's root is decanus, an officer set over ten people, originally in the Roman army and later in monastic communities.
Where Dean comes from
Dean has two separate lines. The topographic surname comes from the Old English denu, a valley, and names someone who lived in one — the same element behind place names ending in -den and -dean. The occupational line comes from the Latin decanus, from decem, ten: a decanus commanded ten soldiers in the Roman army, and the term passed into monastic use for a monk supervising ten others, then into the church and universities as a senior office. Both surnames became given names in the twentieth century, and the name is strongly associated in America with James Dean and Dean Martin.
Dean in use
A dean was originally an officer set over exactly ten people, in the Roman army before the church.
How popular is Dean?
In 2025, Dean was given to 2,882 babies in the United States, ranking #125 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Dean 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 Dean
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Dean also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Dean over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Dean 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.
- West Frisian
- Deen
Sibling names for Dean
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Dean — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Dean
What does the name Dean mean?
Either "valley," from the Old English denu, or the church office of dean, from the Latin decanus.
Why is a dean called a dean?
From the Latin decanus, an officer set over ten — first in the Roman army, then in monasteries.
Was Dean originally a surname?
Yes, in both its topographic and occupational lines.
How popular is the name Dean?
In 2025, Dean was given to 2,882 babies in the United States, ranking #125 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Dean a girl's or a boy's name?
Dean is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Dean?
Dean has 1 syllable.
Is Dean a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Dean currently ranks #125 in the United States. After peaking in the 1960s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.