Total births
34,373
Boys' name · since 1887
Dewey
Dewey has 34,373 recorded births since 1887 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1898 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #3610
- among boys today
- 34,373
- born since 1887
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 75%
- more common than other boys
34,373 babies have been named Dewey since 1887, making it today's #3610 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Dewey has been recorded 34,373 times among boys since 1887, currently ranked #3610 nationally and more common than 75% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1887 to 2025.
- #3610 among boys today
- 34,373 born since 1887
- 1920s peak decade
- 75% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Dewey is currently the #3610 boys' name in America, more common than 75% of boys - 34,373 born since 1887, peaking in the 1920s.
- #3610
- among boys today
- 34,373
- born since 1887
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 75%
- more common than other boys
Dewey vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3610
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 75% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Dewey was born in this single decade.
1898
Single peak year
1,115 babies were named Dewey in 1898 - its busiest year on record.
How Dewey compares
34,373 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Dewey's all-time total is 94x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Dewey | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 34,373 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,115 | 23 | 22,252 |
Dewey's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Dewey's SSA record in two at 1956 and the more recent half accounts for 23% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 77%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1887, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1898 peak of 1,115, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Dewey at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1898
Current rank
#3,610
Active since
1887
Dewey popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1887–2025
- Peak year (1898)
- 1,115
- Annual births at peak, across 139 years of records
Dewey popularity over time - girls
547 total births recorded since 1897 (Dewey as girls' name)
Dewey by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Dewey's strongest decade.
7,224 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Dewey births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 25
1880s
25 births
- 1890s 1,921
1890s
1,921 births
- 1900s 1,320
1900s
1,320 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,960 births
- 1920s
1920s
7,224 births
- 1930s
1930s
5,328 births
- 1940s
1940s
5,372 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,831 births
- 1960s 2,627
1960s
2,627 births
- 1970s 1,635
1970s
1,635 births
- 1980s 921
1980s
921 births
- 1990s 492
1990s
492 births
- 2000s 317
2000s
317 births
- 2010s 234
2010s
234 births
- 2020s 166
2020s
166 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 7,224 births (21% of all-time use).
How Dewey 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 Dewey's total volume
Dewey vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Dewey by state
Where Dewey concentrates geographically, total births since 1887
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 2,819 | 8.2% |
| #2 | Kentucky | | 2,068 | 6.0% |
| #3 | Alabama | | 1,939 | 5.6% |
| #4 | Tennessee | | 1,934 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Texas | | 1,933 | 5.6% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 1,857 | 5.4% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 1,569 | 4.6% |
| #8 | West Virginia | | 1,161 | 3.4% |
North Carolina share of Dewey's total US births 8.2%
Even split
2,819 of 34,373 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Dewey appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Dewey? ▼
Dewey has been given to 34,373 babies in the U.S. since 1887, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #3610 as of the latest data. 1,115 babies were born in 1898, its single highest year.
When was Dewey most popular? ▼
Dewey was most popular in the 1920s decade with 7,224 total births. The single peak year was 1898.
Where is Dewey most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Dewey are North Carolina (2,819 births), Kentucky (2,068 births), Alabama (1,939 births).
How long has the name Dewey been used? ▼
Dewey has been recorded in Social Security data since 1887, spanning 139 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Dewey? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Dewayne, Dewitt, Deward, Dewain, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Dewey's data
- Dewey's decade-level peak was the 1920s (7,224 total births); usage has since declined to 166 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Deweys (2,819 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina 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 Dewey
Nearby Names Like Dewey
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Dewey
Dewayne Boy
#3054 26,491 births
Dewitt Boy
7,216 births
Deward Boy
1,393 births
Dewain Boy
800 births
Dewan Boy
#10077 653 births
Compare Dewey side by side: Dewey vs Dewayne Dewey vs Dewitt Dewey vs Deward
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Dewey
Guadalupe #3609
25,081 births · Peak 1948
Amiel #3611
1,251 births · Peak 2025
Michel #3608
10,539 births · Peak 1957
Myer #3612
1,073 births · Peak 1918
Armand #3607
15,343 births · Peak 1918
Pietro #3613
2,423 births · Peak 1974
Christ #3606
3,977 births · Peak 1923
Romulus #3614
454 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, 1887–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Dewey: #3610 Boys' Name - 34,373 Births, Peak 1898." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/dewey. 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 Dewey 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.