boy's name
Dewey
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 34,923
Dewey is a boy's name with 2 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 28 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Peaked in 1898, when 1,219 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 118,413 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1887.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Dewey 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 | 25 |
| 1890s | 2,062 |
| 1900s | 1,359 |
| 1910s | 3,028 |
| 1920s | 7,370 |
| 1930s | 5,432 |
| 1940s | 5,410 |
| 1950s | 3,842 |
| 1960s | 2,627 |
| 1970s | 1,635 |
| 1980s | 921 |
| 1990s | 492 |
| 2000s | 317 |
| 2010s | 234 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 166 |
How popular is Dewey?
In 2025, Dewey was given to 28 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Dewey 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 Dewey
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Dewey also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Dewey over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Dewey
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Dewey — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Dewey
How popular is the name Dewey?
In 2025, Dewey was given to 28 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Dewey a girl's or a boy's name?
Dewey is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Dewey?
Dewey has 2 syllables.
When was Dewey most popular?
Dewey peaked in 1898, when 1,219 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Dewey a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Dewey currently ranks #3,864 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.