Dayton
Dayton is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:
Meaning & Origin of Dayton
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Dayton is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Dayton
Dayton first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2008, when 568 Daytons were born — ranking #486 that year. As of 2026, Dayton ranks #1,221 for baby boys with 165 births, falling sharply (-25%). In total, more than 16K Daytons 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 Dayton
Phonetically similar names — useful when Dayton 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 Dayton
What does the name Dayton mean?
How popular is Dayton in 2026?
When was Dayton most popular?
In which U.S. states is Dayton most popular?
Is Dayton a unisex name?
What names go well with Dayton?
About the name Dayton
Dayton is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 16K births in the dataset. Dayton's peak popularity came in 2008 when it ranked #486. Use the chart and map above to compare Dayton's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2008 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "D" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.