Boys' name · since 1928

Dotson

Dotson has 32 recorded births since 1928 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1932 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#25,362 of 45,481
all-time among boys
32
born since 1928
1930s
peak decade

Dotson is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 32 have been recorded since 1928.

Social Security Administration records show Dotson recorded 32 times among boys since 1928, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1930s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1928 to 1939.

  • #25,362 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 32 born since 1928
  • 1930s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Dotson ranks #25,362 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 32 born since 1928, peaking in the 1930s.

#25,362 of 45,481
all-time among boys
32
born since 1928
1930s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Dotson's 32 recorded births place it above 43.9% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Dotson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Dotson's full recorded timeline at 1932, 63% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 37% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1939, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1932 peak of 8 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Dotson popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1928–1939

Last recorded 1939
Peak year (1932)
8
Annual births at peak, across 12 years of records
456789 19281931193219341939 5

Dotson by decade

1930s is the heaviest window (26 births, 81% of the file).

1930s was Dotson's strongest decade.

26 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 81% of all-time use.

Dotson births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1930s at 26 births (81% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Dotson? ▼
Dotson has been given to 32 babies in the U.S. since 1928, according to SSA data. Its archive ordinal is #25,362 of 45,481 among boys' names (total births, highest first). Its last appearance in the data was 1939. 8 babies were born in 1932, its single highest year.
Where does Dotson sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Dotson ranks #25,362 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Dotson most popular? ▼
Dotson was most popular in the 1930s decade with 26 total births. The single peak year was 1932.
How long has the name Dotson been used? ▼
Records for Dotson go back to 1928, giving 12 years of history through 1939.
What names are similar to Dotson? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Dot. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

Keep exploring Dotson

Nearby Names Like Dotson

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Dotson

Dot Boy
22 births

Compare Dotson side by side: Dotson vs Dot

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Rexie
32 births · Peak 1913
Oliva
32 births · Peak 1924
Beamon
32 births · Peak 1919
Garr
32 births · Peak 1957
Laton
32 births · Peak 1976
Sellers
32 births · Peak 1917
Warne
32 births · Peak 1921
Kingdon
32 births · Peak 1923

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Dotson: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 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, 1928–1939 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

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 Dotson 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 August 2026.