Total births
1,971
Boys' name · since 1941
Dalen
1,971 babies named Dalen in U.S. Social Security records since 1941, with the highest year being 2001. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #5481
- among boys today
- 1,971
- born since 1941
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 62%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Dalen is the #5481 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 1,971 recorded since 1941.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Dalen has been recorded 1,971 times among boys since 1941, currently ranked #5481 nationally and more common than 62% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1941 to 2025.
- #5481 among boys today
- 1,971 born since 1941
- 2000s peak decade
- 62% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Dalen is currently the #5481 boys' name in America, more common than 62% of boys - 1,971 born since 1941, peaking in the 2000s.
- #5481
- among boys today
- 1,971
- born since 1941
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 62%
- more common than other boys
Dalen vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5481
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 62% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Dalen was born in this single decade.
2001
Single peak year
99 babies were named Dalen in 2001 - its busiest year on record.
How Dalen compares
1,971 Top 21% higher than 79% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Dalen's all-time total is 5x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Dalen | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,971 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 99 | 23 | 22,252 |
Dalen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Dalen's SSA record in two at 1988 and the more recent half accounts for 83% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 17%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1941, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2001 peak of 99, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Dalen at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2001
Current rank
#5,481
Active since
1941
Dalen popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1941–2025
- Peak year (2001)
- 99
- Annual births at peak, across 85 years of records
Dalen popularity over time - girls
16 total births recorded since 1984 (Dalen as girls' name)
Dalen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Dalen's strongest decade.
732 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Dalen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 11
1940s
11 births
- 1950s 51
1950s
51 births
- 1960s 82
1960s
82 births
- 1970s 90
1970s
90 births
- 1980s 129
1980s
129 births
- 1990s
1990s
416 births
- 2000s
2000s
732 births
- 2010s
2010s
321 births
- 2020s 139
2020s
139 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 732 births (37% of all-time use).
How Dalen compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Dalen's total volume
Dalen vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Dalen by state
Where Dalen concentrates geographically, total births since 1941
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 82 | 4.2% |
| #2 | California | | 53 | 2.7% |
| #3 | Indiana | | 38 | 1.9% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 22 | 1.1% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 17 | 0.9% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 13 | 0.7% |
| #7 | Florida | | 12 | 0.6% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 11 | 0.6% |
Texas share of Dalen's total US births 4.2%
Even split
82 of 1,971 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 16 reporting states.
Dalen appears in 16 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Dalen? ▼
Since 1941, Social Security records show 1,971 babies named Dalen. Today it holds rank #5481 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2001, with 99 births.
When was Dalen most popular? ▼
Dalen was most popular in the 2000s decade with 732 total births. The single peak year was 2001.
Where is Dalen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Dalen are Texas (82 births), California (53 births), Indiana (38 births).
How long has the name Dalen been used? ▼
Dalen has been recorded in Social Security data since 1941, spanning 85 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Dalen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Dale, Dalton, Dallas, Dallin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Dalen's data
- Dalen's decade-level peak was the 2000s (732 total births); usage has since declined to 139 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Dalens (82 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Dalen
Nearby Names Like Dalen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Dalen
Dale Boy
#1311 278,156 births
Dalton Boy
#433 85,710 births
Dallas Boy
#243 71,203 births
Dallin Boy
#3817 5,197 births
Dalvin Boy
#8406 1,645 births
Compare Dalen side by side: Dalen vs Dale Dalen vs Dalton Dalen vs Dallas
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Dalen
Pharoah #5480
678 births · Peak 2017
Kean #5482
997 births · Peak 2007
Aureliano #5479
700 births · Peak 2025
Darron #5483
6,190 births · Peak 1965
Leonides #5478
693 births · Peak 2015
Demetrious #5484
1,766 births · Peak 1991
Mcclain #5477
494 births · Peak 2022
Thierry #5485
855 births · Peak 2007
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1941–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Dalen: #5481 Boys' Name - 1,971 Births, Peak 2001." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/dalen. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Dalen draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.