Total births
10,662
Unisex name · since 1927
Dusty
Dusty has 10,662 recorded births since 1927 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1981 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4098
- among boys today
- 10,662
- born since 1927
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other boys
10,662 babies have been named Dusty since 1927, making it today's #4098 unisex name.
Dusty has 10,662 recorded births among boys since 1927, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4098 as of the latest data, more common than 71% of boys, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1927 to 2025.
- #4098 among boys today
- 10,662 born since 1927
- 1980s peak decade
- 71% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Dusty is currently the #4098 unisex name in America, more common than 71% of boys - 10,662 born since 1927, peaking in the 1980s.
- #4098
- among boys today
- 10,662
- born since 1927
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other boys
Dusty vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4098
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 71% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Dusty was born in this single decade.
1981
Single peak year
602 babies were named Dusty in 1981 - its busiest year on record.
How Dusty compares
10,662 Top 8% higher than 92% 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
Dusty's all-time total is 29x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Dusty | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10,662 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 602 | 23 | 22,252 |
Dusty's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Dusty splits its recorded history at 1982: 59% of all births land in the more recent half, 41% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1927 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1981 peak of 602 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Dusty at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1981
Current rank
#4,098
Active since
1927
Dusty popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1927–2025
- Peak year (1981)
- 602
- Annual births at peak, across 99 years of records
Dusty popularity over time - girls
4,469 total births recorded since 1944 (Dusty as girls' name)
Dusty by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Dusty's strongest decade.
3,994 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Dusty births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 11
1920s
11 births
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1940s 130
1940s
130 births
- 1950s 707
1950s
707 births
- 1960s 749
1960s
749 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,626 births
- 1980s
1980s
3,994 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,884 births
- 2000s 924
2000s
924 births
- 2010s 426
2010s
426 births
- 2020s 206
2020s
206 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 3,994 births (37% of all-time use).
How Dusty 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 Dusty's total volume
Dusty vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Dusty by state
Where Dusty concentrates geographically, total births since 1927
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,608 | 15.1% |
| #2 | Oklahoma | | 553 | 5.2% |
| #3 | California | | 493 | 4.6% |
| #4 | Louisiana | | 414 | 3.9% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 378 | 3.5% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 348 | 3.3% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 336 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 272 | 2.6% |
Texas share of Dusty's total US births 15.1%
Even split
1,608 of 10,662 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Dusty appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Dusty? ▼
Since 1927, Social Security records show 10,662 babies named Dusty. Today it holds rank #4098 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1981, with 602 births.
When was Dusty most popular? ▼
Dusty was most popular in the 1980s decade with 3,994 total births. The single peak year was 1981.
Where is Dusty most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Dusty are Texas (1,608 births), Oklahoma (553 births), California (493 births).
Is Dusty a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Dusty is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 10,662 births, and as a girl's name it has 4,469 births.
How long has the name Dusty been used? ▼
Dusty has been recorded in Social Security data since 1927, spanning 99 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Dusty? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Dustin, Dustyn, Dustan, Dusten, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Dusty's data
- Dusty's decade-level peak was the 1980s (3,994 total births); usage has since declined to 206 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Dustys (1,608 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Dusty
Nearby Names Like Dusty
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Dusty
Dustin Boy
#688 208,341 births
Dustyn Boy
#6927 2,673 births
Dustan Boy
1,695 births
Dusten Boy
#11169 1,374 births
Duston Boy
1,165 births
Compare Dusty side by side: Dusty vs Dustin Dusty vs Dustyn Dusty vs Dustan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Dusty
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, 1927–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Dusty: #4098 Unisex Name - 10,662 Births, Peak 1981." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/dusty. 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 Dusty 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.