Total births
1,091
Boys' name · since 1880
Dow
Dow has 1,091 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1962 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 1,091
- total births
- 1880–2015
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 16%
- born in that decade
Dow is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 1,091 have been recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Dow has been recorded 1,091 times among boys since 1880, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, 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 1880 to 2015.
- 1,091 total births
- 1880–2015 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 16% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
1,091 boys have been named Dow since 1880, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 2015.
- 1,091
- total births
- 1880–2015
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 16%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Dow was born in this single decade.
1962
Single peak year
26 babies were named Dow in 1962 - its busiest year on record.
Dow's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Dow's SSA record in two at 1944 and the more recent half accounts for 46% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 54%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1880, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1962 peak of 26, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Dow at a glance
Last recorded 2015Peak year
1962
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Dow popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2015
- Peak year (1962)
- 26
- Annual births at peak, across 136 years of records
Dow by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Dow's strongest decade.
174 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Dow births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 31
1880s
31 births
- 1890s 47
1890s
47 births
- 1900s 6
1900s
6 births
- 1910s
1910s
130 births
- 1920s
1920s
174 births
- 1930s
1930s
145 births
- 1940s
1940s
125 births
- 1950s
1950s
153 births
- 1960s
1960s
149 births
- 1970s 61
1970s
61 births
- 1980s 29
1980s
29 births
- 1990s 18
1990s
18 births
- 2000s 18
2000s
18 births
- 2010s 5
2010s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 174 births (16% of all-time use).
How Dow 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 Dow's total volume
Dow vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Dow by state
Where Dow concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Ohio | | 5 | 0.5% |
Ohio share of Dow's total US births 0.5%
5 of 1,091 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Dow? ▼
Dow has been given to 1,091 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2015. 26 babies were born in 1962, its single highest year.
When was Dow most popular? ▼
Dow was most popular in the 1920s decade with 174 total births. The single peak year was 1962.
Where is Dow most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Dow are Ohio (5 births).
How long has the name Dow been used? ▼
Records for Dow go back to 1880, giving 136 years of history through 2015.
What names are similar to Dow? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Dowell, Doward, Downing, Dowd, and 3 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Dow's data
- Dow's decade-level peak was the 1920s (174 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Ohio records the most Dows (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Ohio 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 Dow
Nearby Names Like Dow
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Dow
Dowell Boy
211 births
Doward Boy
40 births
Downing Boy
13 births
Dowd Boy
6 births
Downey Boy
6 births
Compare Dow side by side: Dow vs Dowell Dow vs Doward Dow vs Downing
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1880–2015 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Dow: Baby Name Since 1880 - 1,091 Births, Peak 1962." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/dow. 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 Dow 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.