Dean
Boy name · #125 in 2025 · Well-known
In 2025, 2,876 baby boys were named Dean, placing it at #125 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #204, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 626 boys born in 2025 was named Dean.
Babies named Dean per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Dean first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 14 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1961, when 4,933 boys were named Dean — good for #84 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Dean against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Dean in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Dean is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Dean is most common
Geography matters for names, and Dean is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Dean is most common in SD (6.5 per 1,000), NH (4.4 per 1,000), MT (4.3 per 1,000), UT (4 per 1,000), NE (3.7 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 2 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Dean is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Dean
Statistically, parents drawn to Dean tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Alan, Vincent, Kevin, Martin, and Wade.
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Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Dean | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,876 | #125 |
| 2024 | 2,549 | #142 |
| 2023 | 2,289 | #159 |
| 2022 | 2,265 | #164 |
| 2021 | 2,352 | #166 |
| 2020 | 2,165 | #176 |
| 2019 | 2,220 | #174 |
| 2018 | 2,257 | #172 |
| 2017 | 2,083 | #187 |
| 2016 | 1,966 | #205 |
| 2015 | 1,950 | #204 |
| 2014 | 1,711 | #221 |
| 2013 | 1,512 | #240 |
| 2012 | 1,380 | #260 |
| 2011 | 1,235 | #284 |
| 2010 | 1,183 | #286 |
| 2009 | 1,061 | #304 |
| 2008 | 951 | #343 |
| 2007 | 906 | #351 |
| 2006 | 779 | #384 |
| 2005 | 756 | #383 |
| 2004 | 746 | #372 |
| 2003 | 685 | #382 |
| 2002 | 711 | #371 |
| 2001 | 744 | #356 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Dean a popular boy name?
Dean ranked #125 among boys in 2025 with 2,876 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #204.
When was the name Dean most popular?
Dean peaked in 1961, when 4,933 American boys received the name (ranked #84 that year). Since 1961 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Dean?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 626 newborn American boys was named Dean. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
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.