Dawn is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Dawn means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Dawn across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Dawn has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Dawn is a girl name of Old English origin meaning “daybreak, dawn”. one of the word names popular in the 20th century.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 290,680 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 375 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 2,686 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 14 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 1,231 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 62 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Dawn per year, United States (1888 to 2025). United States peaked in 1970 (15,724/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (210/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1983 (56/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (39/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2002 (5/yr).
Dawn has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1970, when it ranked #44 nationally (given to 15,736 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1970s.
Dana · Danny · Deanna · Don · Dianne · Dean · Dan · Dwayne
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