Dewey
Last seen for girls in 1956 at #5,952 · #3,848 for boys in 2025, 28 births
Given to boys 98.4% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1898 · 1,115 births
- Debut · boys
- 5 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 3 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 34,373since 1887
Dewey over time
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | #3,848 | 28 | |
| 2024 | — | #3,605 | 31 | |
| 2023 | — | #4,456 | 23 | |
| 2022 | — | #5,019 | 19 | |
| 2021 | — | #3,297 | 35 | |
| 2020 | — | #3,570 | 30 | |
| 2019 | — | #3,794 | 28 | |
| 2018 | — | #3,993 | 26 | |
| 2017 | — | #3,781 | 28 | |
| 2016 | — | #5,555 | 16 | |
| 2015 | — | #5,289 | 17 | |
| 2014 | — | #5,252 | 17 | |
| 2013 | — | #3,661 | 28 | |
| 2012 | — | #3,297 | 33 | |
| 2011 | — | #4,509 | 21 | |
| 2010 | — | #4,678 | 20 | |
| 2009 | — | #4,035 | 25 | |
| 2008 | — | #3,165 | 36 | |
| 2007 | — | #2,811 | 42 | |
| 2006 | — | #3,686 | 27 | |
| 2005 | — | #3,319 | 30 | |
| 2004 | — | #2,741 | 38 | |
| 2003 | — | #3,119 | 30 | |
| 2002 | — | #2,817 | 33 | |
| 2001 | — | #3,512 | 24 | |
| 2000 | — | #2,805 | 32 | |
| 1999 | — | #2,865 | 29 | |
| 1998 | — | #1,931 | 50 | |
| 1997 | — | #2,260 | 37 | |
| 1996 | — | #1,817 | 50 | |
| 1995 | — | #2,210 | 36 | |
| 1994 | — | #1,894 | 44 | |
| 1993 | — | #1,699 | 51 | |
| 1992 | — | #1,371 | 68 | |
| 1991 | — | #1,443 | 62 | |
| 1990 | — | #1,383 | 65 | |
| 1989 | — | #1,219 | 77 | |
| 1988 | — | #1,154 | 76 | |
| 1987 | — | #1,114 | 74 | |
| 1986 | — | #983 | 88 | |
| 1985 | — | #1,133 | 67 | |
| 1984 | — | #913 | 93 | |
| 1983 | — | #884 | 99 | |
| 1982 | — | #853 | 108 | |
| 1981 | — | #865 | 105 | |
| 1980 | — | #758 | 134 | |
| 1979 | — | #727 | 142 | |
| 1978 | — | #774 | 118 | |
| 1977 | — | #723 | 139 | |
| 1976 | — | #722 | 134 | |
| 1975 | — | #630 | 164 | |
| 1974 | — | #639 | 159 | |
| 1973 | — | #653 | 149 | |
| 1972 | — | #591 | 182 | |
| 1971 | — | #541 | 220 | |
| 1970 | — | #535 | 228 | |
| 1969 | — | #534 | 216 | |
| 1968 | — | #503 | 225 | |
| 1967 | — | #518 | 208 | |
| 1966 | — | #494 | 235 | |
| 1965 | — | #473 | 271 | |
| 1964 | — | #472 | 281 | |
| 1963 | — | #460 | 291 | |
| 1962 | — | #476 | 279 | |
| 1961 | — | #465 | 303 | |
| 1960 | — | #452 | 318 | |
| 1959 | — | #440 | 328 | |
| 1958 | — | #432 | 331 | |
| 1957 | — | #408 | 367 | |
| 1956 | #5,952 | 5 | #382 | 389 |
| 1955 | — | #361 | 403 | |
| 1954 | — | #364 | 392 | |
| 1953 | — | #350 | 390 | |
| 1952 | — | #339 | 420 | |
| 1951 | — | #333 | 418 | |
| 1950 | #4,738 | 6 | #340 | 393 |
| 1949 | #4,235 | 7 | #316 | 461 |
| 1948 | — | #266 | 615 | |
| 1947 | — | #293 | 553 | |
| 1946 | #4,960 | 5 | #282 | 522 |
| 1945 | — | #273 | 478 | |
| 1944 | #4,574 | 5 | #213 | 653 |
| 1943 | — | #248 | 566 | |
| 1942 | #3,738 | 7 | #265 | 506 |
| 1941 | #4,420 | 5 | #256 | 476 |
| 1940 | #2,963 | 9 | #229 | 542 |
| 1939 | #4,250 | 5 | #241 | 478 |
| 1938 | #3,450 | 7 | #238 | 501 |
| 1937 | #2,940 | 9 | #241 | 479 |
| 1936 | #3,701 | 6 | #229 | 500 |
| 1935 | #2,439 | 12 | #230 | 503 |
| 1934 | #2,567 | 11 | #228 | 514 |
| 1933 | #2,404 | 12 | #221 | 520 |
| 1932 | #2,365 | 13 | #212 | 583 |
| 1931 | #2,581 | 11 | #211 | 597 |
| 1930 | #1,934 | 18 | #205 | 653 |
| 1929 | #2,011 | 17 | #208 | 634 |
| 1928 | #2,497 | 13 | #202 | 675 |
| 1927 | #2,433 | 14 | #197 | 720 |
| 1926 | #2,351 | 15 | #188 | 767 |
| 1925 | #2,119 | 18 | #181 | 798 |
| 1924 | #2,973 | 11 | #186 | 773 |
| 1923 | #2,091 | 18 | #185 | 762 |
| 1922 | #2,612 | 13 | #193 | 714 |
| 1921 | #2,282 | 16 | #184 | 762 |
| 1920 | #2,899 | 11 | #208 | 619 |
| 1919 | #2,384 | 14 | #205 | 607 |
| 1918 | #1,887 | 20 | #223 | 556 |
| 1917 | #3,344 | 8 | #247 | 417 |
| 1916 | #3,919 | 6 | #268 | 357 |
| 1915 | — | #301 | 286 | |
| 1914 | #2,876 | 7 | #316 | 205 |
| 1913 | #2,540 | 7 | #302 | 172 |
| 1912 | #2,634 | 6 | #276 | 166 |
| 1911 | — | #248 | 107 | |
| 1910 | — | #261 | 87 | |
| 1909 | — | #226 | 91 | |
| 1908 | — | #204 | 99 | |
| 1907 | #2,061 | 5 | #207 | 93 |
| 1906 | #1,727 | 6 | #213 | 83 |
| 1905 | — | #184 | 99 | |
| 1904 | — | #185 | 97 | |
| 1903 | #1,440 | 7 | #133 | 140 |
| 1902 | #1,793 | 5 | #139 | 136 |
| 1901 | #1,339 | 7 | #121 | 137 |
| 1900 | #1,319 | 9 | #75 | 345 |
| 1899 | #629 | 24 | #39 | 499 |
| 1898 | #305 | 104 | #19 | 1,115 |
| 1897 | #895 | 13 | #111 | 158 |
| 1896 | — | #224 | 63 | |
| 1895 | — | #347 | 28 | |
| 1894 | — | #480 | 17 | |
| 1893 | — | #768 | 8 | |
| 1892 | — | #792 | 8 | |
| 1891 | — | #635 | 9 | |
| 1890 | — | #458 | 16 | |
| 1889 | — | #525 | 13 | |
| 1888 | — | #815 | 7 | |
| 1887 | — | #921 | 5 | |
| 1886 | — | — | ||
| 1885 | — | — | ||
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | — | ||
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
The first year at least five boys were named Dewey! It came in at #921, and was given to 5 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1887–1888, when fewer than 8 boys a year got the name.
Where Dewey is popular in 1917
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- North Carolina#97 · 1 in 529
- Alabama#118 · 1 in 653
- Kentucky#127 · 1 in 737
- Virginia#131 · 1 in 789
- Georgia#136 · 1 in 818
Best ever in a state: #67 in Alabama, 1923.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | #97 | 50 | 1 in 529 |
| Alabama | #118 | 31 | 1 in 653 |
| Kentucky | #127 | 27 | 1 in 737 |
| Virginia | #131 | 25 | 1 in 789 |
| Georgia | #136 | 32 | 1 in 818 |
| West Virginia | #141 | 15 | 1 in 803 |
| Tennessee | #150 | 20 | 1 in 993 |
| Idaho | #153 | 5 | 1 in 687 |
| Arkansas | #157 | 17 | 1 in 873 |
| Oklahoma | #175 | 17 | 1 in 978 |
| South Carolina | #179 | 14 | 1 in 1,207 |
| Indiana | #212 | 11 | 1 in 1,919 |
| Mississippi | #219 | 11 | 1 in 1,455 |
| Louisiana | #220 | 12 | 1 in 1,261 |
| Kansas | #225 | 8 | 1 in 1,712 |
| Iowa | #245 | 9 | 1 in 2,055 |
| Missouri | #250 | 12 | 1 in 2,038 |
| Nebraska | #251 | 5 | 1 in 2,162 |
| Illinois | #297 | 13 | 1 in 3,849 |
| Texas | #302 | 21 | 1 in 1,887 |
| Michigan | #314 | 8 | 1 in 3,669 |
| Wisconsin | #334 | 5 | 1 in 4,162 |
| Minnesota | #344 | 5 | 1 in 3,782 |
| California | #366 | 5 | 1 in 3,810 |
| Ohio | #382 | 7 | 1 in 6,231 |
| Pennsylvania | #495 | 6 | 1 in 12,935 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Florida | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| New York | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| 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 Dewey
- 243 spots since 2024 (#3,605 → #3,848)
- 278 spots since 2020 (#3,570 → #3,848)
- 1,441 spots since 2015 (#5,289 → #3,848)
- Biggest jump: 290 spots in 1889 (#815 → #525)
- Biggest drop: 220 spots in 1985 (#913 → #1,133)
- Debuted 1887
- Peaked 1898 at #19 (1,115 births)
- Births halved by 1899, 1 yr later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 3 yrs · run 1898–1900
- Top 1,000: 99 yrs · run 1887–1984
- Highest: 1 in 110 boys born in 1898 were named Dewey (0.91%)
- Latest: 1 in 61,003 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
- 21.0% of all boys named Dewey (7,224) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 25 | #525 (1889) | #754 |
| 1890s | 1,921 | #19 (1898) | #387 |
| 1900s | 1,320 | #75 (1900) | #169 |
| 1910s | 2,960 | #205 (1919) | #265 |
| 1920s | 7,224 | #181 (1925) | #193 |
| 1930s | 5,328 | #205 (1930) | #226 |
| 1940s | 5,372 | #213 (1944) | #264 |
| 1950s | 3,831 | #333 (1951) | #375 |
| 1960s | 2,627 | #452 (1960) | #485 |
| 1970s | 1,635 | #535 (1970) | #654 |
| 1980s | 921 | #758 (1980) | #988 |
| 1990s | 492 | #1,371 (1992) | #1,887 |
| 2000s | 317 | #2,741 (2004) | #3,201 |
| 2010s | 234 | #3,297 (2012) | #4,381 |
| 2020s | 166 | #3,297 (2021) | #3,966 |
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.
Dewey in 1917
Top girls' names in 1917
Top boys' names in 1917
More about 1917
girls
1,081,267 girls got a published name in 1917; 1 in 135,158 of them was named Dewey, which outranked 37.0% of the 5,310 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #3,092Zephyr9
- #3,092Zofia9
- #3,092Zuma9
- #3,344Dewey8
- #3,344Abbey8
- #3,344Adalyn8
- #3,344Adolph8
- #3,713Addine7
- #3,713Adene7
- #3,713Adina7
Tied with 368 names at #3,344; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
925,482 boys got a published name in 1917; 1 in 2,219 of them was named Dewey, which outranked 94.6% of the 4,602 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 30.9% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.