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Home › Baby Names Directory › Dawson

Dawson

♀ Girl

Pronounced DAW-suhn /ˈdɔː.sən/Medium

Meaning: Son of DavidMedium

In 30 seconds: Dawson is an English name meaning 'son of David', here used for a girl.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningSon of David
U.S. rank (2024)#2109 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births90 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2023
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,316

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202319982024

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

Dawson started as an English surname meaning 'son of David', built from a pet form of David plus the '-son' ending. Like many surnames, it has crossed over into use as a given name, including for girls. Its meaning still points back to David, the older name at its core.

The name has a strong, two-syllable surname sound that fits the trend of last names used up front. Its link to David gives it a familiar, time-tested root.

Did you know? Dawson likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Dawson — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

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If you like Dawson…

David— The name at the heart of Dawson's 'son of David' meaning.
Davis— Another surname meaning 'son of David', closely parallel to Dawson.
Emerson— A '-son' surname now used as a given name for girls.
Addison— A '-son' surname popular as a girl's name.
Carson— A surname-style '-son' name with similar crossover use.

Explore names like Dawson

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Dawson mean?

Dawson is usually explained as meaning 'son of David ' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Dawson?

It's commonly said DAW-suhn /ˈdɔː.sən/.

Is Dawson a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Dawson is used as a girl name.

How popular is Dawson?

In 2024, Dawson ranked #2109 in the U.S. for girls, with 90 births recorded.

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