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#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201954peak #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 1954

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #31 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 130 boysAKMaine: #39 for boys · 61 births · 1 in 169 boysMEVermont: #41 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 174 boysVTNew Hampshire: #50 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 246 boysNHWashington: #33 for boys · 222 births · 1 in 139 boysWAIdaho: #35 for boys · 52 births · 1 in 143 boysIDMontana: #27 for boys · 62 births · 1 in 121 boysMTNorth Dakota: #25 for boys · 96 births · 1 in 80 boysNDMinnesota: #29 for boys · 374 births · 1 in 104 boysMNIllinois: #45 for boys · 469 births · 1 in 226 boysILWisconsin: #26 for boys · 409 births · 1 in 108 boysWIMichigan: #36 for boys · 571 births · 1 in 164 boysMINew York: #92 for boys · 308 births · 1 in 552 boysNYMassachusetts: #105 for boys · 51 births · 1 in 1,046 boysMARhode Island: #117 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 1,309 boysRIOregon: #39 for boys · 104 births · 1 in 174 boysORNevada: #24 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 103 boysNVWyoming: #28 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 120 boysWYSouth Dakota: #28 for boys · 92 births · 1 in 89 boysSDIowa: #35 for boys · 229 births · 1 in 134 boysIAIndiana: #39 for boys · 252 births · 1 in 208 boysINOhio: #36 for boys · 637 births · 1 in 171 boysOHPennsylvania: #49 for boys · 482 births · 1 in 250 boysPANew Jersey: #112 for boys · 58 births · 1 in 968 boysNJConnecticut: #95 for boys · 32 births · 1 in 741 boysCTCalifornia: #51 for boys · 545 births · 1 in 282 boysCAUtah: #39 for boys · 72 births · 1 in 158 boysUTColorado: #39 for boys · 105 births · 1 in 181 boysCONebraska: #37 for boys · 119 births · 1 in 129 boysNEMissouri: #43 for boys · 212 births · 1 in 221 boysMOKentucky: #72 for boys · 105 births · 1 in 351 boysKYWest Virginia: #58 for boys · 75 births · 1 in 301 boysWVVirginia: #94 for boys · 92 births · 1 in 476 boysVAMaryland: #78 for boys · 75 births · 1 in 402 boysMDDelaware: #63 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 303 boysDEArizona: #53 for boys · 52 births · 1 in 249 boysAZNew Mexico: #82 for boys · 35 births · 1 in 332 boysNMKansas: #33 for boys · 159 births · 1 in 153 boysKSArkansas: #88 for boys · 49 births · 1 in 428 boysARTennessee: #84 for boys · 90 births · 1 in 462 boysTNNorth Carolina: #112 for boys · 99 births · 1 in 557 boysNCSouth Carolina: #124 for boys · 47 births · 1 in 667 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #147 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,044 boysDCOklahoma: #49 for boys · 110 births · 1 in 225 boysOKLouisiana: #87 for boys · 107 births · 1 in 377 boysLAMississippi: #180 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 1,129 boysMSAlabama: #130 for boys · 51 births · 1 in 761 boysALGeorgia: #123 for boys · 73 births · 1 in 665 boysGAHawaii: #105 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 383 boysHITexas: #99 for boys · 269 births · 1 in 450 boysTXFlorida: #61 for boys · 137 births · 1 in 299 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Nevada#24 · 1 in 103
  2. North Dakota#25 · 1 in 80
  3. Wisconsin#26 · 1 in 108
  4. Montana#27 · 1 in 121
  5. South Dakota#28 · 1 in 89

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Nevada#24221 in 103
North Dakota#25961 in 80
Wisconsin#264091 in 108
Montana#27621 in 121
South Dakota#28921 in 89
Wyoming#28301 in 120
Minnesota#293741 in 104
Alaska#31231 in 130
Kansas#331591 in 153
Washington#332221 in 139
Idaho#35521 in 143
Iowa#352291 in 134
Michigan#365711 in 164
Ohio#366371 in 171
Nebraska#371191 in 129
Colorado#391051 in 181
Indiana#392521 in 208
Maine#39611 in 169
Oregon#391041 in 174
Utah#39721 in 158
Vermont#41231 in 174
Missouri#432121 in 221
Illinois#454691 in 226
Oklahoma#491101 in 225
Pennsylvania#494821 in 250
New Hampshire#50231 in 246
California#515451 in 282
Arizona#53521 in 249
West Virginia#58751 in 301
Florida#611371 in 299
Delaware#63141 in 303
Kentucky#721051 in 351
Maryland#78751 in 402
New Mexico#82351 in 332
Tennessee#84901 in 462
Louisiana#871071 in 377
Arkansas#88491 in 428
New York#923081 in 552
Virginia#94921 in 476
Connecticut#95321 in 741
Texas#992691 in 450
Hawaii#105181 in 383
Massachusetts#105511 in 1,046
New Jersey#112581 in 968
North Carolina#112991 in 557
Rhode Island#11771 in 1,309
Georgia#123731 in 665
South Carolina#124471 in 667
Alabama#130511 in 761
District of Columbia#147141 in 1,044
Mississippi#180261 in 1,129

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 1954

girls
#247
1,095 births · 1 in 1,773 girls
boys
#50
7,439 births · 1 in 274 boys

Top girls' names in 1954

  1. #1Mary68,019
  2. #2Linda55,371
  3. #3Deborah54,674
  4. #4Patricia49,149
  5. #5Susan47,162
  6. #6Debra45,896
  7. #7Barbara36,368
  8. #8Karen32,456
  9. #9Nancy30,270
  10. #10Cynthia27,615
  11. #247Dale1,095

Top boys' names in 1954

  1. #1Michael88,568
  2. #2Robert86,331
  3. #3James86,311
  4. #4John81,168
  5. #5David79,556
  6. #6William61,426
  7. #7Richard57,042
  8. #8Thomas47,159
  9. #9Gary37,920
  10. #10Charles37,463
  11. #50Dale7,439
More about 1954

girls

1,941,915 girls got a published name in 1954; 1 in 1,773 of them was named Dale, which outranked 96.3% of the 6,625 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Dale
  1. #244Ella1,099
  2. #245Faye1,097
  3. #246Jody1,096
  4. #247Dale1,095
  5. #248Beatrice1,083
  6. #249Bernice1,075
  7. #250Rosie1,072
Biggest movers since 1953
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,699Sherree#2,699 → #1,000
  2. ↑ 1,434Sabrina#2,236 → #802
  3. ↑ 932Valinda#1,738 → #806
  4. ↑ 748Sheree#1,071 → #323
  5. ↑ 421Sherie#1,248 → #827
Fallers
  1. ↓ 396Enola#948 → #1,344
  2. ↓ 311Ila#782 → #1,093
  3. ↓ 302Nancie#816 → #1,118
  4. ↓ 282Arline#904 → #1,186
  5. ↓ 269Candyce#944 → #1,213

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

boys

2,038,751 boys got a published name in 1954; 1 in 274 of them was named Dale, which outranked 98.9% of the 4,360 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 32.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Dale
  1. #47Carl8,137
  2. #48Brian8,078
  3. #49Walter7,486
  4. #50Dale7,439
  5. #51Craig7,180
  6. #52Arthur6,856
  7. #53Willie6,832
Biggest movers since 1953
Risers
  1. ↑ 592Ricci#1,331 → #739
  2. ↑ 470Demetrius#1,357 → #887
  3. ↑ 382Crawford#1,378 → #996
  4. ↑ 310Gavin#1,139 → #829
  5. ↑ 296Dino#1,058 → #762
Fallers
  1. ↓ 504Arlin#878 → #1,382
  2. ↓ 347Adan#895 → #1,242
  3. ↓ 345Dayton#966 → #1,311
  4. ↓ 302Garey#966 → #1,268
  5. ↓ 293Bartholomew#975 → #1,268

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

See the top 100 for 1954 →