Dale

#14,942 for girls in 2025, 5 births · #1,409 for boys in 2025, 129 births
Given to boys 92.7% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1958 · 8,502 births
Debut · boys
6 births
In top 100 · boys
49 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
278,156
since 1881

Dale over time

girlsboys

Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201984peak #236, 1952peak #46, 1958girlsboys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#14,9425#1,409129
2024—#1,308149
2023#15,1945#1,408130
2022—#1,551115
2021#10,2929#1,407130
2020—#1,353131
2019—#1,468118
2018#15,6825#1,385127
2017#15,9025#1,219150
2016#11,7818#1,124173
2015—#1,096177
2014#16,5135#1,070181
2013#9,61211#1,229146
2012—#1,115165
2011—#1,108166
2010#16,9925#1,019190
2009—#920225
2008#10,80710#836261
2007#12,6768#772284
2006#13,6067#735290
2005#10,12810#662323
2004#10,6909#607353
2003#7,58014#550408
2002#7,81613#496466
2001#5,17422#410612
2000#8,02712#536407
1999#8,80510#495442
1998#4,79622#466483
1997#5,41718#446503
1996#4,88320#412555
1995#4,09925#401570
1994#2,87741#365650
1993#3,77628#370641
1992#3,09137#341703
1991#3,81727#330759
1990#3,02237#285907
1989#3,16533#288855
1988#3,16531#267883
1987#2,61238#248931
1986#2,34443#237980
1985#2,39841#2191,093
1984#2,22744#2201,032
1983#1,99351#2121,096
1982#1,99152#2151,132
1981#2,11948#1971,248
1980#1,93655#1981,237
1979#2,14746#1881,274
1978#1,66963#1761,323
1977#1,97649#1761,360
1976#1,37378#1611,480
1975#1,60461#1591,528
1974#1,43870#1451,688
1973#1,33975#1411,802
1972#1,13397#1312,062
1971#919141#1252,545
1970#813170#1103,003
1969#739188#963,154
1968#826151#913,257
1967#761167#893,537
1966#648220#853,985
1965#602258#834,397
1964#556317#725,158
1963#510367#695,700
1962#497379#626,365
1961#462448#587,193
1960#418534#547,677
1959#411529#498,343
1958#381585#468,502
1957#353665#507,866
1956#308834#507,720
1955#2711,001#527,182
1954#2471,095#507,439
1953#2501,053#487,350
1952#2361,108#467,417
1951#250927#496,963
1950#263844#496,785
1949#257875#546,229
1948#258855#566,091
1947#267817#635,936
1946#287662#625,024
1945#309487#613,957
1944#330432#613,990
1943#335445#594,235
1942#357386#633,863
1941#378324#593,791
1940#382303#573,699
1939#401280#593,531
1938#466209#563,690
1937#485182#593,340
1936#457196#593,393
1935#519153#613,274
1934#617115#623,241
1933#82665#652,925
1932#73484#613,140
1931#77775#623,008
1930#69997#642,994
1929#85569#732,664
1928#77386#752,640
1927#76689#812,503
1926#82479#842,398
1925#80684#862,302
1924#74798#842,396
1923#78686#902,172
1922#93962#892,041
1921#86273#931,956
1920#90365#1051,680
1919#82373#1121,428
1918#84373#1111,491
1917#91657#1201,248
1916#89357#1211,161
1915#90053#1251,081
1914#1,03433#142691
1913#1,02028#155472
1912#84635#159371
1911#83826#203150
1910#87724#205125
1909#1,15213#207102
1908#97017#203100
1907#1,28910#24273
1906#1,3219#24066
1905#1,16211#24165
1904#1,05012#26053
1903#1,4407#24856
1902#93614#22663
1901#1,1369#27240
1900#94116#28154
1899#1,03410#26641
1898#1,3797#28840
1897#1,03710#28839
1896#1,2927#31236
1895#98611#36826
1894#99810#33628
1893#1,1757#43518
1892#1,0858#40422
1891#1,3325#42717
1890#1,3385#51114
1889—#41519
1888#1,1366#50515
1887#9377#54411
1886—#43117
1885—#34425
1884—#61310
1883—#55611
1882—#7547
1881—#7816
1880——
First appearance
1881

The first year at least five boys were named Dale! It came in at #781, and was given to 6 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1881–1882, when fewer than 8 boys a year got the name.

Where Dale is popular in 1984

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #135 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 714 boysAKMaine: #136 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 1,045 boysMEVermont: #94 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 468 boysVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Dale, so not publishedNHWashington: #154 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 1,120 boysWAIdaho: #227 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,536 boysIDMontana: #182 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,161 boysMTNorth Dakota: #125 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 781 boysNDMinnesota: #156 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 1,436 boysMNIllinois: #225 for boys · 52 births · 1 in 1,574 boysILWisconsin: #144 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 1,260 boysWIMichigan: #139 for boys · 63 births · 1 in 1,011 boysMINew York: #279 for boys · 51 births · 1 in 2,291 boysNYMassachusetts: #266 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 3,398 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Dale, so not publishedRIOregon: #167 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,246 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Dale, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Dale, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Dale, so not publishedSDIowa: #151 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,184 boysIAIndiana: #166 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 1,400 boysINOhio: #131 for boys · 78 births · 1 in 981 boysOHPennsylvania: #156 for boys · 57 births · 1 in 1,329 boysPANew Jersey: #284 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 2,771 boysNJConnecticut: #193 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,741 boysCTCalifornia: #339 for boys · 73 births · 1 in 2,909 boysCAUtah: #225 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 1,762 boysUTColorado: #184 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 1,309 boysCONebraska: #156 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,083 boysNEMissouri: #177 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 1,371 boysMOKentucky: #232 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 2,463 boysKYWest Virginia: #141 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,068 boysWVVirginia: #207 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 1,562 boysVAMaryland: #135 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 954 boysMDDelaware: #107 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 651 boysDEArizona: #231 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,461 boysAZNew Mexico: #272 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 1,627 boysNMKansas: #164 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 1,090 boysKSArkansas: #289 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 2,530 boysARTennessee: #253 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 2,243 boysTNNorth Carolina: #285 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 2,443 boysNCSouth Carolina: #244 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 1,583 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Dale, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #239 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 2,007 boysOKLouisiana: #312 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 2,110 boysLAMississippi: #303 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 2,231 boysMSAlabama: #340 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 3,169 boysALGeorgia: #310 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 2,605 boysGAHawaii: #195 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 1,006 boysHITexas: #329 for boys · 55 births · 1 in 2,597 boysTXFlorida: #166 for boys · 70 births · 1 in 1,017 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Vermont#94 · 1 in 468
  2. Delaware#107 · 1 in 651
  3. North Dakota#125 · 1 in 781
  4. Ohio#131 · 1 in 981
  5. Alaska#135 · 1 in 714

Best ever in a state: #11 in Idaho, 1927.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Vermont#9471 in 468
Delaware#10761 in 651
North Dakota#12571 in 781
Ohio#131781 in 981
Alaska#13571 in 714
Maryland#135281 in 954
Maine#13671 in 1,045
Michigan#139631 in 1,011
West Virginia#141111 in 1,068
Wisconsin#144271 in 1,260
Iowa#151171 in 1,184
Washington#154281 in 1,120
Minnesota#156221 in 1,436
Nebraska#156111 in 1,083
Pennsylvania#156571 in 1,329
Kansas#164161 in 1,090
Florida#166701 in 1,017
Indiana#166271 in 1,400
Oregon#167151 in 1,246
Missouri#177261 in 1,371
Montana#18251 in 1,161
Colorado#184191 in 1,309
Connecticut#193111 in 1,741
Hawaii#19571 in 1,006
Virginia#207231 in 1,562
Illinois#225521 in 1,574
Utah#225101 in 1,762
Idaho#22751 in 1,536
Arizona#231171 in 1,461
Kentucky#232101 in 2,463
Oklahoma#239121 in 2,007
South Carolina#244131 in 1,583
Tennessee#253141 in 2,243
Massachusetts#266111 in 3,398
New Mexico#27271 in 1,627
New York#279511 in 2,291
New Jersey#284161 in 2,771
North Carolina#285161 in 2,443
Arkansas#28961 in 2,530
Mississippi#30381 in 2,231
Georgia#310161 in 2,605
Louisiana#312171 in 2,110
Texas#329551 in 2,597
California#339731 in 2,909
Alabama#34081 in 3,169
District of Columbia———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Dale
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 101 spots since 2024 (#1,308 → #1,409)
  • 56 spots since 2020 (#1,353 → #1,409)
  • 313 spots since 2015 (#1,096 → #1,409)
  • Biggest jump: 269 spots in 1885 (#613 → #344)
  • Biggest drop: 113 spots in 1887 (#431 → #544)
Rise & fade · boys
77 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1881
  • Peaked 1958 at #46 (8,502 births)
  • Births halved by 1966, 8 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 49 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 49 yrs · run 1921–1969
  • Top 1,000: 129 yrs · run 1881–2009
Share of babies · boys
1 in 250
  • Highest: 1 in 250 boys born in 1958 were named Dale (0.40%)
  • Latest: 1 in 13,241 boys born in 2025 (0.01%)
Era · boys
The 1950s
  • 27.2% of all boys named Dale (75,567) were born in this decade
Girls or boys?
Never flipped
  • The majority has never changed
all girlsall boys
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s121#344 (1885)#549
1890s281#266 (1899)#364
1900s672#203 (1908)#242
1910s8,218#111 (1918)#145
1920s22,752#73 (1929)#86
1930s32,536#56 (1938)#61
1940s46,815#54 (1949)#60
1950s75,567#46 (1958)#49
1960s50,423#54 (1960)#76
1970s18,065#110 (1970)#151
1980s10,487#197 (1981)#230
1990s6,213#285 (1990)#391
2000s3,629#410 (2001)#652
2010s1,593#1,019 (2010)#1,183
2020s784#1,308 (2024)#1,406

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Dale in 1984

girls
#2,227
44 births · 1 in 38,269 girls
boys
#220
1,032 births · 1 in 1,749 boys

Top girls' names in 1984

  1. #1Jennifer50,564
  2. #2Jessica45,857
  3. #3Ashley38,773
  4. #4Amanda33,915
  5. #5Sarah25,887
  6. #6Stephanie23,025
  7. #7Nicole22,270
  8. #8Melissa21,896
  9. #9Heather21,489
  10. #10Elizabeth20,360
  11. #2,227Dale44

Top boys' names in 1984

  1. #1Michael67,735
  2. #2Christopher60,021
  3. #3Matthew49,767
  4. #4Joshua40,266
  5. #5David38,492
  6. #6Daniel36,531
  7. #7James35,859
  8. #8John32,610
  9. #9Robert31,768
  10. #10Joseph30,513
  11. #220Dale1,032
More about 1984

girls

1,683,817 girls got a published name in 1984; 1 in 38,269 of them was named Dale, which outranked 81.7% of the 12,181 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 18.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Dale
  1. #2,192Vanity45
  2. #2,192Velvet45
  3. #2,192Yolonda45
  4. #2,227Dale44
  5. #2,227Aislinn44
  6. #2,227Alea44
  7. #2,227America44
  8. #2,266Ashia43
  9. #2,266Darcey43
  10. #2,266Edward43

Tied with 38 names at #2,227; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1983
Risers
  1. ↑ 8,259Santana#9,015 → #756
  2. ↑ 2,419Tasia#3,151 → #732
  3. ↑ 2,198Teela#3,065 → #867
  4. ↑ 1,074Grisel#1,858 → #784
  5. ↑ 894Kaylee#1,715 → #821
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,856Dwan#874 → #2,730
  2. ↓ 720Toccara#937 → #1,657
  3. ↓ 713Kaleena#547 → #1,260
  4. ↓ 303Karie#1,000 → #1,303
  5. ↓ 300Karyn#820 → #1,120

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,804,848 boys got a published name in 1984; 1 in 1,749 of them was named Dale, which outranked 97.0% of the 7,341 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Dale
  1. #217Leonard1,054
  2. #218Steve1,042
  3. #219Levi1,033
  4. #220Dale1,032
  5. #221Glenn1,023
  6. #222Ramon1,017
  7. #223Ivan1,008
Biggest movers since 1983
Risers
  1. ↑ 958Ryne#1,562 → #604
  2. ↑ 472Rachel#1,448 → #976
  3. ↑ 399Zebulon#1,375 → #976
  4. ↑ 359Travon#1,327 → #968
  5. ↑ 347Mackenzie#1,347 → #1,000
Fallers
  1. ↓ 741Trumaine#949 → #1,690
  2. ↓ 422Basil#1,000 → #1,422
  3. ↓ 240Alfonzo#1,000 → #1,240
  4. ↓ 208Jasen#804 → #1,012
  5. ↓ 205Woodrow#949 → #1,154

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1984 →