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Updated August 7, 2024

Table of contents

Boy name origins & meanings

  • Hebrew : Beloved
  • English : Son of David

What does Dawson mean and stand for?

The name Dawson is of English origin and means "son of David." It was originally used as a surname before really being popularized with Dawson's Creek.

Syllables: 2

How Popular Is The Name Dawson

Family name origins & meanings

  • English : patronymic from Daw 1.

Popularity

According to Social Security Administration data, Dawson has been fairly stagnant. It broke the top 200 in 2017, only to fall out again in 2019, and re-enter in 2020. It reached its peak rank position in 2018 at 194.

However, it is the 11th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Dawson was at its peak popularity in July 2020.

Dawson gained popularity as a given name with the popularization of Dawson's Creek. In 1998, it jumped 550 places after the show aired. Dawson has also been a popular character name in literature, appearing in Faulkner's Mosquitoes, Nicholas Sparks's The Best of Me, and Sinclair Lewis's Arrowsmith. While the name is still more common a surname, there are some notable namesakes, such as actor Dawson Millward, actor Dawson Dakota Dunbar, and painter Dawson Dawson.

Where is it Popular?

Dawson was searched for most often in the following states:

Nicknames for Dawson

  • Daw
  • Daws

Pairs well with these middle names

 

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