Dahlia
Dahlia was the 215th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,420 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 197 places. More babies were named Dahlia in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning dahlia (the flower) · Swedish, English
Say it DAL-yuh /ˈdæljə/
- Rank in 2025
- #215 girls, up 139 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,420girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20251,420 babies
- Total since 1880
- 19,359babies recorded
What does the name Dahlia mean?
Dahlia is the name of a flower, which Wikipedia says was named in honor of the 18th-century Swedish botanist Anders Dahl; his surname means a person who lived in a valley. Wiktionary records the girl's name as taken from the flower in the 19th century. Wikipedia also notes that it is a spelling of Dalia, a Hebrew name meaning 'hanging branch'.
Dahl (Swedish, “surname ('valley')”)dal (Swedish, “valley”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: English names, names that mean flower.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Dahlia', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Dahlia (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Dahlia popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #215 | 1,420 |
| 2020 | #354 | 873 |
| 2010 | #650 | 451 |
| 2000 | #1,363 | 137 |
| 1990 | #2,814 | 41 |
| 1980 | #2,102 | 49 |
| 1970 | #1,880 | 46 |
| 1960 | #1,859 | 37 |
| 1950 | #1,657 | 32 |
| 1940 | #3,572 | 7 |
| 1930 | #1,954 | 18 |
| 1920 | #1,830 | 22 |
| 1910 | #2,496 | 5 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | #1,377 | 5 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Dahlia, counting every spelling?
Dahlia is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #239 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #215 for Dahlia on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,425 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dahlia | 1,420 | #215 | 6,123 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Dahlia?
1,420 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Dahlia (0.39 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Dahlia born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 6 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Dahlia.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Dahlia?
About 18,500 people born in the US named Dahlia are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 4 and 16. That makes Dahlia a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Dahlia by state
How common Dahlia was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Nevada (2.6×), New Mexico (2.3×), California (1.9×), Oregon (1.9×), Arizona (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in West Virginia, New Hampshire, District of Columbia.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Dahlia: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Dahlia, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Dahlia · Sibling names for Dahlia
Questions about the name Dahlia
What does Dahlia mean?
Dahlia means “dahlia (the flower)” (Swedish, English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Dahlia?
Dahlia was the 215th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,420 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 197 places. More babies were named Dahlia in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Dahlia a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Dahlia in the US.
Where is Dahlia most popular?
In 2021–2025, Dahlia was most common in Alaska (2.09 per 1,000 girls), followed by Nevada and New Mexico.