Dale
Dale is a unisex given name of English origin.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Dale
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Dale is a unisex given name of English origin.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Dale
As a girl name
American parents first put Dale on the record books as a girl name in 1887, with 7 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1952, when 1,108 Dales were born — ranking #236 that year. The 1950s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 39% of all recorded Dales. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2023 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 22K Dales have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Dale first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1881, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1958: 8,503 births, good for #46 nationwide. The 1950s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 27% of all recorded Dales. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,333 among boy names with 143 births, holding steady (+3%). In total, more than 278K Dales have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Dale
Phonetically similar names — useful when Dale is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dale
What does the name Dale mean?
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In which U.S. states is Dale most popular?
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About the name Dale
Dale is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1881 and has accumulated 278K births in the dataset. Dale's peak popularity came in 1958 when it ranked #46. Use the chart and map above to compare Dale's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1958 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "D" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.