boy's name
Dwayne
dwayn
- Origin Irish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 79,694
Scotland
#369
1991 births
Dwayne means the little dark one, from an Irish surname built on the word for black — the same root that gives Dublin its name, which means the black pool the city grew around.
- Dwayne is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in 1961, when 3,505 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 30,416 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1912.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Dwayne over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 161 |
| 1920s | 775 |
| 1930s | 1,822 |
| 1940s | 2,743 |
| 1950s | 7,912 |
| 1960s | 26,950 |
| 1970s | 14,949 |
| 1980s | 9,172 |
| 1990s | 5,622 |
| 2000s | 3,488 |
| 2010s | 2,729 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 877 |
What Dwayne means
Dwayne means little dark one, or descendant of the dark one. The Irish dubh means black or dark, and the diminutive turns it into an affectionate byname.
Where Dwayne comes from
Dwayne anglicizes the Irish Ó Dubháin — descendant of Dubhán, a byname on dubh, black or dark, usually describing hair or complexion. The same dubh begins Dublin, from dubh linn, the black pool where the Liffey met the Poddle, and appears in Doyle, Devlin and Duff. Duane, written up separately, is the same name with the older spelling; Dwayne is the later American respelling and holds slightly less volume in our data.
Dwayne in use
Dwayne peaked in the United States in 1961, when 3,505 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It charts in four of the seven markets we track — 1,570th in the United States on 109 births, 1742nd in France on 20 and 2949th in England and Wales on 8 — across 79,694 lifetime births. Our records carry it from 1900.
How popular is Dwayne?
In 2025, Dwayne was given to 109 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Dwayne 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 Dwayne
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Dwayne also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Dwayne over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Dwayne 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 Dwayne
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Dwayne — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Dwayne
What does the name Dwayne mean?
Little dark one — from the Irish dubh, black.
Does Dublin come from the same word?
Yes — dubh linn, the black pool where the Liffey met the Poddle.
Is it Dwayne or Duane?
Duane is closer to the Irish surname; Dwayne is the later American respelling.
How popular is Dwayne?
1570th in the United States, down from a 1961 peak of 3,505 births.
Is Dwayne a girl's or a boy's name?
Dwayne is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Dwayne?
Dwayne has 1 syllable.
Is Dwayne a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Dwayne currently ranks #1,570 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.