Dewey
Dewey is the masculine given name of Welsh origin, an Anglified spelling of 'Dewi', it is also used as a nickname.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Dewey
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Dewey is the masculine given name of Welsh origin, an Anglified spelling of 'Dewi', it is also used as a nickname.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Dewey
The earliest SSA record of Dewey as a baby boy name dates back to 1887, when 5 babies received it. 1898 was its biggest year on record, with 1,115 newborns named Dewey — #19 in the national rankings. The 1920s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 21% of all recorded Deweys. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #4,096 among baby boy names with 26 births, gradually falling (-15%). In total, more than 34K Deweys 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 Dewey
Phonetically similar names — useful when Dewey 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 Dewey
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About the name Dewey
Dewey is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1887 and has accumulated 34K births in the dataset. Dewey's peak popularity came in 1898 when it ranked #19. Use the chart and map above to compare Dewey's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1898 →
- Names of the 1890s →
- 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.