Boy · #3,481 in 2026

Dotson

Name: Popularity of the name Dotson in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Dotson, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Dotson is a Welsh surname originating from the Cheshire region. This surname is a patronymic of the Middle English name "Dodde." Originally derived from the Germanic root "dodd" meaning "something rounded", used to denote a short, rotund man.

Current Rank

#3,481

Peak Rank

#2,849 (1932)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1928

First Year

1939

Last Year

1932

Peak Year

#2849

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Dotson

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Dotson

The earliest SSA record of Dotson as a baby boy name dates back to 1928, when 6 babies received it. 1932 was its biggest year on record, with 8 newborns named Dotson — #2,849 in the national rankings. About 81% of every Dotson on record arrived during the 1930s, its defining decade. Dotson last appeared in the published SSA data in 1939, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 32 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1920s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Dotson

Phonetically similar names — useful when Dotson is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Datsun
Dodson
Dawson
Dowson
Dottin
Dayton
Dyson
Dutton
Dosen
Dison
Dissen
Deaton

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Dotson

What does the name Dotson mean?

How popular is Dotson in 2026?

In 2026, Dotson ranks #3,481 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Dotson most popular?

Dotson reached its peak popularity in 1932, ranking #2,849 that year with 8 babies given the name.

Is Dotson a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Dotson is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Dotson?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Dotson include Artee, Norwin, Dellas. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Dotson

Dotson is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1928 and has accumulated 32 births in the dataset. Dotson's peak popularity came in 1932 when it ranked #2,849. Use the chart and map above to compare Dotson's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.