Total births
76,738
Boys' name · since 1912
Dwayne
Dwayne has 76,738 recorded births since 1912 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1961 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1420
- among boys today
- 76,738
- born since 1912
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Dwayne is the #1420 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 76,738 recorded since 1912.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Dwayne has been recorded 76,738 times among boys since 1912, currently ranked #1420 nationally and more common than 90% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2025.
- #1420 among boys today
- 76,738 born since 1912
- 1960s peak decade
- 90% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Dwayne is currently the #1420 boys' name in America, more common than 90% of boys - 76,738 born since 1912, peaking in the 1960s.
- #1420
- among boys today
- 76,738
- born since 1912
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Dwayne vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1420
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 90% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
35% of everyone ever named Dwayne was born in this single decade.
1961
Single peak year
3,486 babies were named Dwayne in 1961 - its busiest year on record.
How Dwayne compares
76,738 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Dwayne's all-time total is 209x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Dwayne | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 76,738 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 3,486 | 23 | 22,252 |
Dwayne's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Dwayne's full recorded timeline at 1969, 50% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 50% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1912, with just 7 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1961 peak of 3,486 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Dwayne at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1961
Current rank
#1,420
Active since
1912
Dwayne popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (1961)
- 3,486
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Dwayne popularity over time - girls
462 total births recorded since 1931 (Dwayne as girls' name)
Dwayne by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Dwayne's strongest decade.
26,788 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Dwayne births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 161
1910s
161 births
- 1920s 775
1920s
775 births
- 1930s 1,816
1930s
1,816 births
- 1940s 2,743
1940s
2,743 births
- 1950s 7,878
1950s
7,878 births
- 1960s
1960s
26,788 births
- 1970s
1970s
14,811 births
- 1980s 9,064
1980s
9,064 births
- 1990s 5,608
1990s
5,608 births
- 2000s 3,488
2000s
3,488 births
- 2010s 2,729
2010s
2,729 births
- 2020s 877
2020s
877 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 26,788 births (35% of all-time use).
How Dwayne 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 Dwayne's total volume
Dwayne vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Dwayne by state
Where Dwayne concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 5,816 | 7.6% |
| #2 | California | | 5,300 | 6.9% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 4,643 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Texas | | 4,284 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Louisiana | | 4,027 | 5.2% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 4,025 | 5.2% |
| #7 | Florida | | 3,773 | 4.9% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 3,736 | 4.9% |
New York share of Dwayne's total US births 7.6%
Even split
5,816 of 76,738 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Dwayne appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Dwayne? ▼
Since 1912, Social Security records show 76,738 babies named Dwayne. Today it holds rank #1420 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1961, with 3,486 births.
When was Dwayne most popular? ▼
Dwayne was most popular in the 1960s decade with 26,788 total births. The single peak year was 1961.
Where is Dwayne most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Dwayne are New York (5,816 births), California (5,300 births), Illinois (4,643 births).
How long has the name Dwayne been used? ▼
Records for Dwayne go back to 1912, giving 114 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Dwayne? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Dwain, Dwaine, Dwane, Dwan, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Dwayne's data
- Dwayne's decade-level peak was the 1960s (26,788 total births); usage has since declined to 877 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Dwaynes (5,816 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Dwayne
Nearby Names Like Dwayne
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Dwayne
Dwain Boy
#11012 7,581 births
Dwaine Boy
#9082 4,362 births
Dwane Boy
3,170 births
Dwan Boy
1,221 births
Dwayn Boy
72 births
Compare Dwayne side by side: Dwayne vs Dwain Dwayne vs Dwaine Dwayne vs Dwane
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Dwayne
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, 1912–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Dwayne: #1420 Boys' Name - 76,738 Births, Peak 1961." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/dwayne. 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 Dwayne 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.