Boys' name · since 1915

Dowell

211 babies named Dowell in U.S. Social Security records since 1915, with the highest year being 1919. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

#12,623 of 45,481
all-time among boys
211
born since 1915
1920s
peak decade

Dowell sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 211 recorded since 1915.

Social Security Administration records show Dowell recorded 211 times among boys since 1915, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 1969.

  • #12,623 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 211 born since 1915
  • 1920s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Dowell ranks #12,623 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 211 born since 1915, peaking in the 1920s.

#12,623 of 45,481
all-time among boys
211
born since 1915
1920s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Dowell's 211 recorded births place it above 72.2% 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.

Dowell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Dowell splits its recorded history at 1938: 50% of all births land in the more recent half, 50% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1915 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1919 peak of 10 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Dowell popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–1969

Last recorded 1969
Peak year (1919)
10
Annual births at peak, across 55 years of records
4681012 191519221927193119391946195719631969 9

Dowell by decade

1920s is the heaviest window (50 births, 24% of the file).

1920s was Dowell's strongest decade.

50 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.

Dowell births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1920s at 50 births (24% of all-time use).

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Dowell? ▼
Dowell has been given to 211 babies in the U.S. since 1915, according to SSA data. Its archive ordinal is #12,623 of 45,481 among boys' names (total births, highest first). Its last appearance in the data was 1969. 10 babies were born in 1919, its single highest year.
Where does Dowell sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Dowell ranks #12,623 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 Dowell most popular? ▼
Dowell was most popular in the 1920s decade with 50 total births. The single peak year was 1919.
How long has the name Dowell been used? ▼
Records for Dowell go back to 1915, giving 55 years of history through 1969.
What names are similar to Dowell? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Dow, Doward, Downing, Dowd, and 3 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Dowell's data

  • Dowell's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (50 total births) through the 1960s (35) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Dowell

Nearby Names Like Dowell

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

Dow Boy
1,091 births
Doward Boy
40 births
Downing Boy
13 births
Dowd Boy
6 births
Downey Boy
6 births

Compare Dowell side by side: Dowell vs Dow Dowell vs Doward Dowell vs Downing

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Rino
211 births · Peak 1930
Andie #12118
211 births · Peak 2008
Vahan
211 births · Peak 2024
Jhan #9846
211 births · Peak 2010
Eisen #8354
211 births · Peak 2020
Aundray
211 births · Peak 1966
Kwane
211 births · Peak 1990
Altariq
211 births · Peak 1997

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Dowell: 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, 1915–1969 (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 Dowell 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.