Dawn
Girl name · #2174 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 85 baby girls were named Dawn, placing it at #2174 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1996, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 21,176 girls born in 2025 was named Dawn.
The 137-year story
Dawn first appears in the Social Security records in 1888, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1970, when 15,681 girls were named Dawn — good for #16 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Dawn per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Dawn against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Dawn in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Dawn is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Dawn will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Dawn is most common
State-level data for Dawn is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Dawn
Statistically, parents drawn to Dawn tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Dina, Tracy, Dena, Tina, and Lynn.
DinaTracyDenaTinaLynnDeannaGinaSonya
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Dawn | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 85 | #2173 |
| 2024 | 108 | #1852 |
| 2023 | 78 | #2336 |
| 2022 | 100 | #1961 |
| 2021 | 96 | #2007 |
| 2020 | 83 | #2170 |
| 2019 | 86 | #2155 |
| 2018 | 100 | #1968 |
| 2017 | 105 | #1917 |
| 2016 | 85 | #2247 |
| 2015 | 99 | #1996 |
| 2014 | 94 | #2071 |
| 2013 | 78 | #2344 |
| 2012 | 90 | #2115 |
| 2011 | 94 | #2058 |
| 2010 | 92 | #2136 |
| 2009 | 113 | #1866 |
| 2008 | 114 | #1865 |
| 2007 | 122 | #1760 |
| 2006 | 130 | #1627 |
| 2005 | 125 | #1615 |
| 2004 | 157 | #1352 |
| 2003 | 200 | #1100 |
| 2002 | 197 | #1077 |
| 2001 | 179 | #1161 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Dawn a popular girl name?
Dawn ranked #2174 among girls in 2025 with 85 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1996.
When was the name Dawn most popular?
Dawn peaked in 1970, when 15,681 American girls received the name (ranked #16 that year). Since 1970 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Dawn?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 21,176 newborn American girls was named Dawn. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.