Total births
192,930
Boys' name · since 1880
Dean
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 192,930 babies named Dean, peaking in 1961. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #142
- among boys today
- 192,930
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 99.0%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Dean is the #142 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 192,930 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Dean recorded 192,930 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #142 nationally today, ahead of 99.0% of boys, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #142 among boys today
- 192,930 born since 1880
- 1960s peak decade
- 99.0% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Dean is currently the #142 boys' name in America, more common than 99.0% of boys - 192,930 born since 1880, peaking in the 1960s.
- #142
- among boys today
- 192,930
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 99.0%
- more common than other boys
Dean vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#142
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.0% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Dean was born in this single decade.
1961
Single peak year
4,933 babies were named Dean in 1961 - its busiest year on record.
How Dean compares
192,930 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Dean's all-time total is 526x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Dean | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 192,930 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 4,933 | 23 | 22,252 |
Dean's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Dean's full recorded timeline at 1953, 72% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 28% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1882, with just 9 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1961 peak of 4,933 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Dean at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1961
Current rank
#142
Active since
1880
Dean popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1961)
- 4,933
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Dean popularity over time - girls
2,914 total births recorded since 1884 (Dean as girls' name)
Dean by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Dean's strongest decade.
42,527 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Dean births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 132
1880s
132 births
- 1890s 247
1890s
247 births
- 1900s 381
1900s
381 births
- 1910s 3,812
1910s
3,812 births
- 1920s 11,155
1920s
11,155 births
- 1930s 13,629
1930s
13,629 births
- 1940s 16,356
1940s
16,356 births
- 1950s
1950s
34,584 births
- 1960s
1960s
42,527 births
- 1970s 13,898
1970s
13,898 births
- 1980s 8,059
1980s
8,059 births
- 1990s 8,122
1990s
8,122 births
- 2000s 8,035
2000s
8,035 births
- 2010s
2010s
17,497 births
- 2020s 14,496
2020s
14,496 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 42,527 births (22% of all-time use).
How Dean 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 Dean's total volume
Dean vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Dean by state
Where Dean concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 18,760 | 9.7% |
| #2 | New York | | 12,581 | 6.5% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 11,410 | 5.9% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 10,736 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 10,649 | 5.5% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 9,675 | 5.0% |
| #7 | Minnesota | | 8,850 | 4.6% |
| #8 | Wisconsin | | 8,401 | 4.4% |
California share of Dean's total US births 9.7%
Even split
18,760 of 192,930 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Dean appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Dean? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 192,930 babies named Dean. Today it holds rank #142 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1961, with 4,933 births.
When was Dean most popular? ▼
Dean was most popular in the 1960s decade with 42,527 total births. The single peak year was 1961.
Where is Dean most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Dean are California (18,760 births), New York (12,581 births), Pennsylvania (11,410 births).
How long has the name Dean been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Dean since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Dean? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Deandre, Deangelo, Deacon, Deanthony, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Dean's data
- Dean's usage has stayed within range of its 1960s decade-level peak (42,527 total births) through the 2020s (14,496) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Deans (18,760 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Dean
Nearby Names Like Dean
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Dean
Deandre Boy
#1051 29,495 births
Deangelo Boy
#1744 12,279 births
Deacon Boy
#553 11,570 births
Deanthony Boy
#3636 3,359 births
Deane Boy
#12429 2,758 births
Compare Dean side by side: Dean vs Deandre Dean vs Deangelo Dean vs Deacon
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Dean
Leon #141
182,638 births · Peak 1924
Evan #143
287,701 births · Peak 2007
Calvin #140
221,064 births · Peak 1924
Nathaniel #144
287,103 births · Peak 2002
Dawson #139
52,802 births · Peak 1999
Diego #145
126,160 births · Peak 2006
Matteo #138
33,483 births · Peak 2024
Arlo #146
24,245 births · Peak 2024
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Dean: #142 Boys' Name - 192,930 Births, Peak 1961." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/dean. 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 Dean 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.