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Dale

dayl /deɪl/

At a glance

In short
Dale is an easy-going charmer of a name, rooted in the Old English word dæl, meaning “valley.”
U.S. rank 2025
#1,409 of boy names (outside the top 1,000)
Babies in 2025
129 (<0.01% of boys)
Trend
Steady #1,353 in 2020 #1,409 in 2025
Peak
#46 in 1952 and 1958
First recorded
1881

Meaning of Dale

Dale is an easy-going charmer of a name, rooted in the Old English word dæl, meaning “valley.” Picture a green hollow tucked between rolling hills—that’s the quiet strength Dale carries. First found as a surname for families who lived near such serene landscapes, it strolled into first-name territory in the early 20th century and hit its stride during the 1950s golden era of baseball cards and backyard barbecues. Over the years, Dale has been worn by movers and shakers as varied as legendary NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, glass-art wizard Dale Chihuly, and motivational master Dale Carnegie, giving the name an adventurous yet thoughtful aura. Though its popularity has settled into a gentle groove lately, Dale still feels like a breath of fresh country air—dependable, down-to-earth, and quietly confident, perfect for parents who want a classic with room to roam.

How to pronounce Dale

English

Popularity of Dale in the U.S.

Dale was the #1,409 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 129 babies. It peaked at #46 in 1952 and 1958. It first appears in the records in 1881.

Bar and line chart: Dale in the U.S., 1881–2025. Bars: boys given the name each year, most 8,502 in 1958 and 129 in 2025. Line: rank among boy names, peak #46 in 1952 and 1958, #1,409 in 2025.
  • Boys named Dale (left scale)
  • Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
By year, 1881–2025. Source: SSA. Download: PNG · SVG
Year-by-year table, 1881⁠–⁠2025 145 rows
YearBabiesRankvs previous year
20251291,409▼ 101
20241491,308▲ 100
20231301,408▲ 143
20221151,551▼ 144
20211301,407▼ 54
20201311,353▲ 115
20191181,468▼ 83
20181271,385▼ 166
20171501,219▼ 95
20161731,124▼ 28
20151771,096▼ 26
20141811,070▲ 159
20131461,229▼ 114
20121651,115▼ 7
20111661,108▼ 89
20101901,019▼ 99
2009225920▼ 84
2008261836▼ 64
2007284772▼ 37
2006290735▼ 73
2005323662▼ 55
2004353607▼ 57
2003408550▼ 54
2002466496▼ 86
2001612410▲ 126
2000407536▼ 41
1999442495▼ 29
1998483466▼ 20
1997503446▼ 34
1996555412▼ 11
1995570401▼ 36
1994650365▲ 5
1993641370▼ 29
1992703341▼ 11
1991759330▼ 45
1990907285▲ 3
1989855288▼ 21
1988883267▼ 19
1987931248▼ 11
1986980237▼ 18
19851,093219▲ 1
19841,032220▼ 8
19831,096212▲ 3
19821,132215▼ 18
19811,248197▲ 1
19801,237198▼ 10
19791,274188▼ 12
19781,323176–
19771,360176▼ 15
19761,480161▼ 2
19751,528159▼ 14
19741,688145▼ 4
19731,802141▼ 10
19722,062131▼ 6
19712,545125▼ 15
19703,003110▼ 14
19693,15496▼ 5
19683,25791▼ 2
19673,53789▼ 4
19663,98585▼ 2
19654,39783▼ 11
19645,15872▼ 3
19635,70069▼ 7
19626,36562▼ 4
19617,19358▼ 4
19607,67754▼ 5
19598,34349▼ 3
19588,50246▲ 4
19577,86650–
19567,72050▲ 2
19557,18252▼ 2
19547,43950▼ 2
19537,35048▼ 2
19527,41746▲ 3
19516,96349–
19506,78549▲ 5
19496,22954▲ 2
19486,09156▲ 7
19475,93663▼ 1
19465,02462▼ 1
19453,95761–
19443,99061▼ 2
19434,23559▲ 4
19423,86363▼ 4
19413,79159▼ 2
19403,69957▲ 2
19393,53159▼ 3
19383,69056▲ 3
19373,34059–
19363,39359▲ 2
19353,27461▲ 1
19343,24162▲ 3
19332,92565▼ 4
19323,14061▲ 1
19313,00862▲ 2
19302,99464▲ 9
19292,66473▲ 2
19282,64075▲ 6
19272,50381▲ 3
19262,39884▲ 2
19252,30286▼ 2
19242,39684▲ 6
19232,17290▼ 1
19222,04189▲ 4
19211,95693▲ 12
19201,680105▲ 7
19191,428112▼ 1
19181,491111▲ 9
19171,248120▲ 1
19161,161121▲ 4
19151,081125▲ 17
1914691142▲ 13
1913472155▲ 4
1912371159▲ 44
1911150203▲ 2
1910125205▲ 2
1909102207▼ 4
1908100203▲ 39
190773242▼ 2
190666240▲ 1
190565241▲ 19
190453260▼ 12
190356248▼ 22
190263226▲ 46
190140272▲ 9
190054281▼ 15
189941266▲ 22
189840288–
189739288▲ 24
189636312▲ 56
189526368▼ 32
189428336▲ 99
189318435▼ 31
189222404▲ 23
189117427▲ 84
189014511▼ 96
188919415▲ 90
188815505▲ 39
188711544▼ 113
188617431▼ 87
188525344▲ 269
188410613▼ 57
188311556▲ 198
18827754▲ 27
18816781new

Dale by state

Dale ranks #679 in Michigan (2025).

Map: Dale's 2025 rank among boy names in each U.S. state
Rank among boy names by state, 2025. Source: SSA. Download: PNG · SVG
Rank by state 12 states
StateRankBabies
Michigan67911
Utah7035
Missouri7097
Indiana8446
Colorado8495
Virginia8757
Tennessee9276
Ohio1,2675
New York1,2978
Florida1,6256
California1,8298
Texas2,2856

Notable people named Dale

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. — Dale Earnhardt Junior is a beloved NASCAR driver and broadcaster who carried on his famous father's racing legacy and now runs his own team, JR Motorsports.
  • Dale Earnhardt was a legendary NASCAR driver known as the Intimidator for his aggressive style behind the wheel of the No 3 Chevrolet and is widely considered one of the greatest racers in the history of the sport.
  • Dale Chihuly is an American glass artist famous for turning blown glass into large-scale sculpture.
  • Dale Murphy is a former Atlanta Braves outfielder, seven-time All-Star and back-to-back National League MVP in 1982 and 1983.
  • Dale Stephens is an English former footballer who played professionally as a central midfielder.
More people named Dale 5 more
  • Dale Carnegie was a Missouri farm boy who became a famous self-improvement teacher and wrote the classic bestseller How to Win Friends and Influence People.
  • Dale Berra is a former MLB infielder who played from 1977 to 1987 and is the son of Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra.
  • Dale Crover is an American rock drummer best known for his work with Melvins and a brief stint with Nirvana.
  • Dale Davis is an American former pro basketball player who played center and power forward.
  • Dale Spender was an Australian feminist scholar and writer who co-founded Pandora Press and championed the recovery of forgotten women writers.