Dail

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Dail

Pronounced DAYL /ˈdeɪl/Medium

Meaning: Dail is best read as a variant spelling of Dale, from the Old English dael 'valley', a topographic surname for someone who lived in a dale. It may also stand as a surname in its own right; the meaning follows the parent Dale.Low

In 30 seconds: Dail is a variant of Dale, from the English word for 'valley'. Used as a first name, it stayed very rare in the United States (said DAYL).

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Origin LowEnglish

MeaningDail is best read as a variant spelling of Dale, from the Old English dael 'valley', a topographic surname for someone who lived in a dale. It may also stand as a surname in its own right; the meaning follows the parent Dale.

U.S. rank (1993)#8981 ↘ Falling

1993 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1921

Total births (all-time)≈ 459

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Dail is best read as a variant spelling of Dale, from the Old English dael, 'valley' - originally a name for someone who lived in a dale - and it survives independently as a surname. As a given name it appears in United States birth records in the early twentieth century, reached its modest high around 1921, and was never common, given to only a couple dozen boys a year.

A boy named Dail then would be a great-grandfather today. The single-syllable form fits an era fond of crisp, plain boys' names. It has not revived - parents who like the sound choose the standard Dale - but Dail persists as a distinctive family spelling.

Did you know? Dail keeps the sound of Dale, the old English word for a valley, in a spelling that also survives as a family surname.

Overall data confidence 46%

References - Dail — Variant of Dale; Old English dael 'valley'; also a surname

Variations

DaleDaelDayle

Nicknames

Dai

Famous Bearers

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If you like Dail…

Dale— the standard name Dail varies

Dell— a like short English topographic name

Gale— another crisp one-syllable vintage name

Vail— a rhyming valley-and-place name of the same feel

Explore names like Dail

By themerare english vintage surname-name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Dail mean?

It is a variant of Dale, from the Old English dael, meaning 'valley'; it also stands as an English surname.

How do you pronounce Dail?

It's said DAYL /ˈdeɪl/, one syllable, rhyming with 'pail'.

Is Dail a boy or girl name?

Dail is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Dail?

It has always been very rare, a Dale variant given to only a couple dozen boys a year around the nineteen-twenties.