Total births
32
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.
- 32
- total births
- 1928–1939
- years on record
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 81%
- born in that 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.
- 32 total births
- 1928–1939 years on record
- 1930s peak decade
- 81% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
32 boys have been named Dotson since 1928, peaking in the 1930s, last recorded in 1939.
- 32
- total births
- 1928–1939
- years on record
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 81%
- born in that decade
1930s
Peak decade
81% of everyone ever named Dotson was born in this single decade.
1932
Single peak year
8 babies were named Dotson in 1932 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 1939Peak year
1932
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1928
Dotson popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1928–1939
- Peak year (1932)
- 8
- Annual births at peak, across 12 years of records
Dotson by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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
- 1920s 6
1920s
6 births
- 1930s
1930s
26 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 26 births (81% of all-time use).
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 last appearance in the data was 1939. 8 babies were born in 1932, its single highest year.
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
Compare Dotson side by side: Dotson vs Dot
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Dotson: Baby Name Since 1928 - 32 Births, Peak 1932." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/dotson. 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 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 July 2026.