Dalton
Dalton was the 448th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 699 babies. Its best year was 1994, when it ranked 85th; the most babies were born in 1998 (4,565). Over the last ten years it has moved down 120 places. More babies were named Dalton in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning valley settlement · Old English
Say it DAWL-tun /ˈdɔltən/
- Rank in 2025
- #448 boys, up 16 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 699boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19984,565 babies
- Total since 1880
- 86,142babies recorded
What does the name Dalton mean?
Dalton is an English place name found in northern England and Scotland, from Old English dæl, "valley", and tūn, "settlement": a farm or village in a valley. Wiktionary gives this derivation; the chemist John Dalton is a famous bearer of the surname. As a first name it has been used in the US since the mid-20th century.
dæl (Old English, “valley, dale”)tūn (Old English, “settlement”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: English names, names that mean meadow, hill or valley, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Dalton', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Dalton', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Dalton popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 432 since 1916, 6 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #448 | 699 |
| 2020 | #464 | 638 |
| 2010 | #260 | 1,332 |
| 2000 | #91 | 4,445 |
| 1990 | #193 | 1,571 |
| 1980 | #1,049 | 74 |
| 1970 | #849 | 90 |
| 1960 | #799 | 91 |
| 1950 | #687 | 99 |
| 1940 | #511 | 128 |
| 1930 | #498 | 143 |
| 1920 | #509 | 143 |
| 1910 | #627 | 22 |
| 1900 | #631 | 16 |
| 1890 | #1,036 | 5 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Dalton, counting every spelling?
Dalton is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #447 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #448 for Dalton on its own. Together these spellings went to 699 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dalton | 699 | #448 | 3,153 |
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 Dalton?
699 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Dalton (0.19 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Dalton 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 12 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Dalton.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Dalton?
About 78,900 people born in the US named Dalton are alive today, with a median age of 26; half are between 20 and 31. That makes Dalton mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Dalton by state
How common Dalton was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in West Virginia (2.9×), Mississippi (2.8×), Kentucky (2.0×), Alabama (2.0×), Arkansas (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Nebraska, California, Illinois.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Dalton: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Dalton, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Dalton · Sibling names for Dalton
Questions about the name Dalton
What does Dalton mean?
Dalton means “valley settlement” (Old English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Dalton?
Dalton was the 448th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 699 babies. Its best year was 1994, when it ranked 85th; the most babies were born in 1998 (4,565). Over the last ten years it has moved down 120 places. More babies were named Dalton in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Dalton a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Dalton in the US.
Where is Dalton most popular?
In 2021–2025, Dalton was most common in Alaska (1.18 per 1,000 boys), followed by West Virginia and Mississippi.