Total births
78,587
Boys' name · since 1880
Dwight
Dwight has 78,587 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1953 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2504
- among boys today
- 78,587
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other boys
78,587 babies have been named Dwight since 1880, making it today's #2504 boys' name.
Dwight has 78,587 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2504 as of the latest data, more common than 82% of boys, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2504 among boys today
- 78,587 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 82% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Dwight is currently the #2504 boys' name in America, more common than 82% of boys - 78,587 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #2504
- among boys today
- 78,587
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other boys
Dwight vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2504
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 82% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Dwight was born in this single decade.
1953
Single peak year
2,698 babies were named Dwight in 1953 - its busiest year on record.
How Dwight compares
78,587 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
Dwight's all-time total is 214x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Dwight | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 78,587 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,698 | 23 | 22,252 |
Dwight's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Dwight splits its recorded history at 1953: 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 1883 (11 births) -- compare that against the 1953 peak of 2,698 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Dwight at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1953
Current rank
#2,504
Active since
1880
Dwight popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1953)
- 2,698
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Dwight popularity over time - girls
320 total births recorded since 1913 (Dwight as girls' name)
Dwight by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Dwight's strongest decade.
20,848 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Dwight births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 185
1880s
185 births
- 1890s 277
1890s
277 births
- 1900s 455
1900s
455 births
- 1910s 2,686
1910s
2,686 births
- 1920s 4,560
1920s
4,560 births
- 1930s 4,895
1930s
4,895 births
- 1940s
1940s
12,864 births
- 1950s
1950s
20,848 births
- 1960s
1960s
13,010 births
- 1970s 7,003
1970s
7,003 births
- 1980s 5,166
1980s
5,166 births
- 1990s 3,401
1990s
3,401 births
- 2000s 1,723
2000s
1,723 births
- 2010s 1,144
2010s
1,144 births
- 2020s 370
2020s
370 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 20,848 births (27% of all-time use).
How Dwight 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 Dwight's total volume
Dwight vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Dwight by state
Where Dwight concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Ohio | | 5,057 | 6.4% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 4,491 | 5.7% |
| #3 | Texas | | 4,151 | 5.3% |
| #4 | California | | 4,107 | 5.2% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 3,639 | 4.6% |
| #6 | New York | | 3,218 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 3,195 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 3,077 | 3.9% |
Ohio share of Dwight's total US births 6.4%
Even split
5,057 of 78,587 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Dwight appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Dwight? ▼
Dwight has been given to 78,587 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #2504 as of the latest data. 2,698 babies were born in 1953, its single highest year.
When was Dwight most popular? ▼
Dwight was most popular in the 1950s decade with 20,848 total births. The single peak year was 1953.
Where is Dwight most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Dwight are Ohio (5,057 births), North Carolina (4,491 births), Texas (4,151 births).
How long has the name Dwight been used? ▼
Records for Dwight go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Dwight? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Dwij. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Dwight's data
- Dwight's decade-level peak was the 1950s (20,848 total births); usage has since declined to 370 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Ohio records the most Dwights (5,057 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 Dwight
Nearby Names Like Dwight
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Dwight
Compare Dwight side by side: Dwight vs Dwij
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Dwight
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Dwight: #2504 Boys' Name - 78,587 Births, Peak 1953." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/dwight. 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 Dwight 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.