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Home › Baby Names Directory › Dabney

Dabney

♀ Girl

Pronounced DAB-nee /ˈdæb.ni/Medium

Meaning: Dabney is an English surname that traces to the Norman French 'd'Aubigny,' meaning 'from Aubigny,' a place-name in northern France. Anglicized over centuries, it later served as a given name for both boys and girls.Low

In 30 seconds: Dabney is an English surname from Norman French d'Aubigny ('from Aubigny'), used here as a girl's name. It saw quiet later-century use (said DAB-nee).
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Origin LowEnglish, French
MeaningDabney is an English surname that traces to the Norman French 'd'Aubigny,' meaning 'from Aubigny,' a place-name in northern France. Anglicized over centuries, it later served as a given name for both boys and girls.
U.S. rank (2023)#15710 ↗ Rising
2023 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1973
Total births (all-time)≈ 391

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197319472023

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Dabney began as an English surname anglicized from the Norman French 'd'Aubigny,' meaning 'from Aubigny.' Long a family name, especially in Virginia, it moved into given-name use for both sexes, and here it appears as a crisp two-syllable girl's name.

Dabney was only about fifteen a year even at its peak as a girl's name around the early nineteen-seventies and stayed rare. Its surname-style sound fits the ongoing taste for family names on girls, though it remains an unusual pick.

Did you know? The name is well known through the actor Dabney Coleman, though as a first name for girls it appeared quietly in American records in the second half of the twentieth century.
Overall data confidence 40%
References - Dabney — English surname from Norman d'Aubigny; place-name; given-name use both sexes

Variations

DaubneyDabny

Nicknames

DabDabs

Famous Bearers

  • ★Dabney Coleman (1932-2024)
    American actor known for comic and villainous roles; a well-known bearer of the name

If you like Dabney…

Delaney— a like surname-name of similar sound on a girl
Whitney— a similar two-syllable surname-name for girls
Sydney— another surname-style girl's name of the era
Mallory— a comparable Norman-rooted surname-name

Explore names like Dabney

By themerareenglishfrenchsurname

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Dabney mean?

It is an English surname that comes from the Norman French place-name d'Aubigny, meaning 'from Aubigny' in France.

How do you pronounce Dabney?

It is said DAB-nee /ˈdæb.ni/ - two syllables.

Is Dabney a boy or girl name?

Dabney is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Dabney?

Dabney was always rare as a girl's name in the United States, given to only about fifteen a year at its peak in the early nineteen-seventies.

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