Dayton

Dayton - A very unique male name

Dayton appeared on the charts for the first time in 1914 on position #944. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Dayton and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Dayton? 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 Dayton. The baby boy name Dayton was given to 120 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1203 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 12,219 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Dayton peaked in popularity 18 years ago in 2008 on position 473.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Dayton, 1-5?

Dayton is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Dayton is currently topping the baby name charts in Kansas at position #360 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,256.

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 Dayton is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Dayton origin and meaning

English surname and place name, transferred

From English place names meaning 'settlement by a ditch' or 'dairy farm settlement' — the surname's exact source place varies by family

Dayton is best known as the Ohio city, named for Jonathan Dayton, an early landowner and signer of the Constitution — so the city's name is itself a surname. As a first name it peaked in 2008 during the -ton surname wave and has fallen since.

Attested etymology

Dayton is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

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

Similar to Dayton

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

Danny / Dean / Don / Duane / Damian / Dan / Dwayne / Damon / Damien / Donnie /

---

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 Dayton

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 Dayton 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 Dayton?

2 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.

---

Pronunciation

DAY-tun · /ˈdeɪtən/

Around the world

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

Spellings and nicknames

Nicknames: Day

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

SurnamePlace name

Why parents choose it

Dayton suits parents who like place-and-surname names with an American, heartland feel.

Worth knowing

• Most people hear the Ohio city first; if you have no Ohio connection, expect the question.