Dale

Dale - A very unique male name

Dale appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #205. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Dale and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Dale? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Dale. The baby boy name Dale was given to 80 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1399 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 18,329 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Dale peaked in popularity 74 years ago in 1952 on position 46.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Dale, 1-5?

Dale is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Dale is currently topping the baby name charts in Michigan at position #687 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,336.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Dale is where you live.

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Dale origin and meaning

English transferred surname and place name

From Old English dæl, 'valley' — originally a name for someone who lived in a valley

Dale began as a landscape surname and became a mid-century American staple, peaking in 1958. It faded for decades but has ticked up since 2020 — a small sign the plain, one-syllable classics are being looked at again.

Attested etymology

Dale is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Dale, pop culture references for the name Dale and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Dale

We've found the following names that sound similar to Dale, sorted by popularity.

Doyle / Dudley / Del / Dell / Dael / Doyal / Diallo / Deloy / Daiel / Dayle /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Dale

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Dale a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Dale?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

DAYL · /deɪl/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Dayle — A respelling
• Dall — A rare older variant

Famous bearers

• Dale Earnhardt — American NASCAR driver, seven-time Winston Cup champion known as 'The Intimidator' (1951–2001) Contemporary
• Dale Carnegie — American author of How to Win Friends and Influence People (1888–1955) Historical

Style

SurnameNatureClassic

Why parents choose it

Plain, sturdy and outdoorsy — a valley name with mid-century American grit, edging back up.

Worth knowing

• Also a well-established girls' name in older generations, so some will hear it as unisex-vintage.