Dawson is an established boys' name that peaked in 1999 and remains in steady use.
Dawson is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #143 among boys (2,487) and #2,260 among girls (81) — overall #255 across all names. The charts below show girls and boys separately.
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,568 | 2,568 | #2,260 | #143 |
| 2024 | 2,677 | 2,677 | #2,121 | #139 |
| 2023 | 2,551 | 2,551 | #1,969 | #149 |
| 2022 | 2,141 | 2,141 | #2,052 | #184 |
| 2021 | 1,931 | 1,931 | #1,973 | #207 |
| 2020 | 1,991 | 1,991 | #2,398 | #197 |
| 2019 | 2,042 | 2,042 | #2,237 | #202 |
| 2018 | 2,199 | 2,199 | #2,000 | #194 |
| 2017 | 2,082 | 2,082 | #2,699 | #196 |
| 2016 | 1,877 | 1,877 | #2,313 | #216 |
| 2015 | 1,660 | 1,660 | #2,688 | #238 |
| 2014 | 1,127 | 1,127 | #3,554 | #320 |
| 2013 | 1,068 | 1,068 | #4,448 | #320 |
| 2012 | 1,068 | 1,068 | #4,524 | #316 |
| 2011 | 1,036 | 1,036 | #5,593 | #315 |
| 2010 | 1,191 | 1,191 | #5,829 | #289 |
| 2009 | 1,181 | 1,181 | #5,255 | #284 |
| 2008 | 1,316 | 1,316 | #5,809 | #269 |
| 2007 | 1,429 | 1,429 | #6,625 | #250 |
| 2006 | 1,576 | 1,576 | #5,274 | #233 |
| 2005 | 1,619 | 1,619 | #6,339 | #221 |
| 2004 | 1,788 | 1,788 | #5,098 | #206 |
| 2003 | 1,832 | 1,832 | #4,702 | #204 |
| 2002 | 1,985 | 1,985 | #4,009 | #193 |
| 2001 | 2,054 | 2,054 | #4,872 | #183 |
| 2000 | 2,349 | 2,349 | #3,538 | #168 |
| 1999 | 2,834 | 2,834 | #3,732 | #136 |
| 1998 | 1,915 | 1,915 | #5,188 | #175 |
| 1997 | 209 | — | — | #734 |
| 1996 | 195 | — | — | #759 |
| 1995 | 149 | — | — | #897 |
| 1994 | 158 | — | — | #854 |
| 1993 | 117 | — | — | #1,017 |
| 1992 | 85 | — | — | #1,224 |
| 1991 | 75 | — | — | #1,297 |
| 1990 | 65 | — | — | #1,385 |
| 1989 | 67 | — | — | #1,338 |
| 1988 | 47 | — | — | #1,560 |
| 1987 | 44 | — | — | #1,592 |
| 1986 | 28 | — | — | #2,066 |
| 1985 | 34 | — | — | #1,767 |
| 1984 | 32 | — | — | #1,770 |
| 1983 | 19 | — | — | #2,508 |
| 1982 | 31 | — | — | #1,824 |
| 1981 | 23 | — | — | #2,215 |
| 1980 | 29 | — | — | #1,915 |
| 1979 | 23 | — | — | #2,174 |
| 1978 | 18 | — | — | #2,501 |
| 1977 | 17 | — | — | #2,579 |
| 1976 | 24 | — | — | #2,011 |
| 1975 | 18 | — | — | #2,386 |
| 1974 | 36 | — | — | #1,444 |
| 1973 | 20 | — | — | #2,060 |
| 1972 | 14 | — | — | #2,562 |
| 1971 | 16 | — | — | #2,388 |
| 1970 | 25 | — | — | #1,755 |
| 1969 | 15 | — | — | #2,240 |
| 1968 | 20 | — | — | #1,796 |
| 1967 | 12 | — | — | #2,386 |
| 1966 | 16 | — | — | #1,980 |
| 1965 | 12 | — | — | #2,391 |
| 1964 | 11 | — | — | #2,571 |
| 1963 | 21 | — | — | #1,751 |
| 1962 | 19 | — | — | #1,865 |
| 1961 | 16 | — | — | #2,082 |
| 1960 | 17 | — | — | #1,989 |
| 1959 | 17 | — | — | #1,990 |
| 1958 | 21 | — | — | #1,739 |
| 1957 | 27 | — | — | #1,517 |
| 1956 | 16 | — | — | #2,031 |
| 1955 | 16 | — | — | #1,988 |
| 1954 | 23 | — | — | #1,602 |
| 1953 | 27 | — | — | #1,458 |
| 1952 | 26 | — | — | #1,493 |
| 1951 | 32 | — | — | #1,309 |
| 1950 | 28 | — | — | #1,372 |
| 1949 | 31 | — | — | #1,304 |
| 1948 | 39 | — | — | #1,148 |
| 1947 | 40 | — | — | #1,152 |
| 1946 | 22 | — | — | #1,524 |
| 1945 | 16 | — | — | #1,711 |
| 1944 | 28 | — | — | #1,260 |
| 1943 | 20 | — | — | #1,595 |
| 1942 | 21 | — | — | #1,544 |
| 1941 | 17 | — | — | #1,707 |
| 1940 | 30 | — | — | #1,232 |
| 1939 | 32 | — | — | #1,147 |
| 1938 | 13 | — | — | #2,005 |
| 1937 | 26 | — | — | #1,314 |
| 1936 | 29 | — | — | #1,229 |
| 1935 | 27 | — | — | #1,302 |
| 1934 | 16 | — | — | #1,792 |
| 1933 | 20 | — | — | #1,553 |
| 1932 | 18 | — | — | #1,732 |
| 1931 | 28 | — | — | #1,312 |
| 1930 | 22 | — | — | #1,571 |
| 1929 | 23 | — | — | #1,536 |
| 1928 | 34 | — | — | #1,232 |
| 1927 | 22 | — | — | #1,656 |
| 1926 | 27 | — | — | #1,412 |
| 1925 | 31 | — | — | #1,308 |
| 1924 | 35 | — | — | #1,228 |
| 1923 | 28 | — | — | #1,390 |
| 1922 | 35 | — | — | #1,227 |
| 1921 | 36 | — | — | #1,208 |
| 1920 | 33 | — | — | #1,258 |
| 1919 | 27 | — | — | #1,389 |
| 1918 | 28 | — | — | #1,349 |
| 1917 | 30 | — | — | #1,242 |
| 1916 | 24 | — | — | #1,424 |
| 1915 | 30 | — | — | #1,189 |
| 1914 | 24 | — | — | #1,196 |
| 1913 | 19 | — | — | #1,178 |
| 1912 | 14 | — | — | #1,288 |
| 1911 | 13 | — | — | #937 |
| 1910 | 11 | — | — | #995 |
| 1909 | 6 | — | — | #1,312 |
| 1907 | 6 | — | — | #1,228 |
| 1905 | 5 | — | — | #1,276 |
| 1904 | 10 | — | — | #770 |
| 1901 | 6 | — | — | #976 |
| 1900 | 5 | — | — | #1,358 |
| 1898 | 5 | — | — | #1,165 |
| 1891 | 7 | — | — | #785 |
| 1890 | 7 | — | — | #825 |
| 1889 | 5 | — | — | #1,002 |
| 1888 | 8 | — | — | #763 |
| 1887 | 8 | — | — | #698 |
| 1885 | 5 | — | — | #972 |