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
Showing
- 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
boys
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
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
| 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 | — | — | ||
First appearance
1887
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 1955
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · boys
- Kentucky#168 · 1 in 1,305
- West Virginia#195 · 1 in 1,659
- North Carolina#203 · 1 in 1,523
- Georgia#233 · 1 in 1,886
- South Carolina#234 · 1 in 1,795
Best ever in a state: #67 in Alabama, 1923.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | #168 | 28 | 1 in 1,305 |
| West Virginia | #195 | 13 | 1 in 1,659 |
| North Carolina | #203 | 36 | 1 in 1,523 |
| Georgia | #233 | 26 | 1 in 1,886 |
| South Carolina | #234 | 17 | 1 in 1,795 |
| Oregon | #241 | 7 | 1 in 2,567 |
| Arkansas | #244 | 10 | 1 in 2,007 |
| Virginia | #244 | 19 | 1 in 2,284 |
| Florida | #246 | 20 | 1 in 2,151 |
| Tennessee | #260 | 16 | 1 in 2,570 |
| Kansas | #275 | 8 | 1 in 3,019 |
| Alabama | #277 | 16 | 1 in 2,430 |
| Mississippi | #287 | 11 | 1 in 2,628 |
| New Mexico | #309 | 5 | 1 in 2,350 |
| Oklahoma | #319 | 7 | 1 in 3,490 |
| Indiana | #327 | 10 | 1 in 5,300 |
| Ohio | #340 | 17 | 1 in 6,487 |
| Michigan | #358 | 13 | 1 in 7,376 |
| California | #442 | 21 | 1 in 7,543 |
| Texas | #446 | 25 | 1 in 4,838 |
| Pennsylvania | #475 | 8 | 1 in 15,058 |
| Louisiana | #500 | 6 | 1 in 6,783 |
| New York | #556 | 11 | 1 in 15,841 |
| Illinois | #594 | 6 | 1 in 17,980 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — |
| 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
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
- 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)
Rise & fade · boys
11 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1887
- Peaked 1898 at #19 (1,115 births)
- Births halved by 1899, 1 yr later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 3 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 3 yrs · run 1898–1900
- Top 1,000: 99 yrs · run 1887–1984
Share of babies · boys
1 in 110
- Highest: 1 in 110 boys born in 1898 were named Dewey (0.91%)
- Latest: 1 in 61,003 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
Era · boys
The 1920s
- 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 1955
boys
#361
403 births · 1 in 5,111 boys
Top boys' names in 1955
More about 1955
boys
2,059,889 boys got a published name in 1955; 1 in 5,111 of them was named Dewey, which outranked 91.8% of the 4,400 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 32.1% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).