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
Show data for
Peak · boys
1898 · 1,115 births
Debut · boys
5 births
In top 100 · boys
3 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
34,373
since 1887

Dewey over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201987peak #19, 1898boys
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—#3,84828
2024—#3,60531
2023—#4,45623
2022—#5,01919
2021—#3,29735
2020—#3,57030
2019—#3,79428
2018—#3,99326
2017—#3,78128
2016—#5,55516
2015—#5,28917
2014—#5,25217
2013—#3,66128
2012—#3,29733
2011—#4,50921
2010—#4,67820
2009—#4,03525
2008—#3,16536
2007—#2,81142
2006—#3,68627
2005—#3,31930
2004—#2,74138
2003—#3,11930
2002—#2,81733
2001—#3,51224
2000—#2,80532
1999—#2,86529
1998—#1,93150
1997—#2,26037
1996—#1,81750
1995—#2,21036
1994—#1,89444
1993—#1,69951
1992—#1,37168
1991—#1,44362
1990—#1,38365
1989—#1,21977
1988—#1,15476
1987—#1,11474
1986—#98388
1985—#1,13367
1984—#91393
1983—#88499
1982—#853108
1981—#865105
1980—#758134
1979—#727142
1978—#774118
1977—#723139
1976—#722134
1975—#630164
1974—#639159
1973—#653149
1972—#591182
1971—#541220
1970—#535228
1969—#534216
1968—#503225
1967—#518208
1966—#494235
1965—#473271
1964—#472281
1963—#460291
1962—#476279
1961—#465303
1960—#452318
1959—#440328
1958—#432331
1957—#408367
1956#5,9525#382389
1955—#361403
1954—#364392
1953—#350390
1952—#339420
1951—#333418
1950#4,7386#340393
1949#4,2357#316461
1948—#266615
1947—#293553
1946#4,9605#282522
1945—#273478
1944#4,5745#213653
1943—#248566
1942#3,7387#265506
1941#4,4205#256476
1940#2,9639#229542
1939#4,2505#241478
1938#3,4507#238501
1937#2,9409#241479
1936#3,7016#229500
1935#2,43912#230503
1934#2,56711#228514
1933#2,40412#221520
1932#2,36513#212583
1931#2,58111#211597
1930#1,93418#205653
1929#2,01117#208634
1928#2,49713#202675
1927#2,43314#197720
1926#2,35115#188767
1925#2,11918#181798
1924#2,97311#186773
1923#2,09118#185762
1922#2,61213#193714
1921#2,28216#184762
1920#2,89911#208619
1919#2,38414#205607
1918#1,88720#223556
1917#3,3448#247417
1916#3,9196#268357
1915—#301286
1914#2,8767#316205
1913#2,5407#302172
1912#2,6346#276166
1911—#248107
1910—#26187
1909—#22691
1908—#20499
1907#2,0615#20793
1906#1,7276#21383
1905—#18499
1904—#18597
1903#1,4407#133140
1902#1,7935#139136
1901#1,3397#121137
1900#1,3199#75345
1899#62924#39499
1898#305104#191,115
1897#89513#111158
1896—#22463
1895—#34728
1894—#48017
1893—#7688
1892—#7928
1891—#6359
1890—#45816
1889—#52513
1888—#8157
1887—#9215
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 1987

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedMNIllinois: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedILWisconsin: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedWIMichigan: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedMINew York: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedINOhio: #721 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 15,255 boysOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedCTCalifornia: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedNEMissouri: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedMOKentucky: #329 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 3,981 boysKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedWVVirginia: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedARTennessee: #412 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 4,605 boysTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedLAMississippi: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedALGeorgia: #504 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 5,694 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedHITexas: fewer than 5 boys named Dewey, so not publishedTXFlorida: #764 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 11,361 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Kentucky#329 · 1 in 3,981
  2. Tennessee#412 · 1 in 4,605
  3. Georgia#504 · 1 in 5,694
  4. Ohio#721 · 1 in 15,255
  5. Florida#764 · 1 in 11,361

Best ever in a state: #67 in Alabama, 1923.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Kentucky#32961 in 3,981
Tennessee#41271 in 4,605
Georgia#50481 in 5,694
Ohio#72151 in 15,255
Florida#76471 in 11,361
Alabama———
Alaska———
Arizona———
Arkansas———
California———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Illinois———
Indiana———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Louisiana———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Michigan———
Minnesota———
Mississippi———
Missouri———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New Mexico———
New York———
North Carolina———
North Dakota———
Oklahoma———
Oregon———
Pennsylvania———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Texas———
Utah———
Vermont———
Virginia———
Washington———
West Virginia———
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
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s25#525 (1889)#754
1890s1,921#19 (1898)#387
1900s1,320#75 (1900)#169
1910s2,960#205 (1919)#265
1920s7,224#181 (1925)#193
1930s5,328#205 (1930)#226
1940s5,372#213 (1944)#264
1950s3,831#333 (1951)#375
1960s2,627#452 (1960)#485
1970s1,635#535 (1970)#654
1980s921#758 (1980)#988
1990s492#1,371 (1992)#1,887
2000s317#2,741 (2004)#3,201
2010s234#3,297 (2012)#4,381
2020s166#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 1987

boys
#1,114
74 births · 1 in 25,230 boys

Top boys' names in 1987

  1. #1Michael63,664
  2. #2Christopher54,493
  3. #3Matthew46,511
  4. #4Joshua40,002
  5. #5David36,795
  6. #6Andrew36,206
  7. #7Daniel35,876
  8. #8James32,659
  9. #9Justin31,491
  10. #10Robert30,237
  11. #1,114Dewey74
More about 1987

boys

1,866,984 boys got a published name in 1987; 1 in 25,230 of them was named Dewey, which outranked 86.3% of the 8,152 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Dewey
  1. #1,106Ramone75
  2. #1,106Theo75
  3. #1,106Tye75
  4. #1,114Dewey74
  5. #1,114Cord74
  6. #1,114Corry74
  7. #1,114Jamey74
  8. #1,123Benjamen73
  9. #1,123Jashua73
  10. #1,123Micahel73

Tied with 8 names at #1,114; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1986
Risers
  1. ↑ 994Trevin#1,962 → #968
  2. ↑ 819Conner#1,617 → #798
  3. ↑ 593Mychal#1,363 → #770
  4. ↑ 503Jaren#1,457 → #954
  5. ↑ 457Corbin#1,049 → #592
Fallers
  1. ↓ 623Durell#816 → #1,439
  2. ↓ 336Jayce#694 → #1,030
  3. ↓ 267Rasheed#921 → #1,188
  4. ↓ 263Deshaun#971 → #1,234
  5. ↓ 260Britt#880 → #1,140

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

See the top 100 for 1987 →