Dalton

Did you know?

A few things about Dalton you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Dalton

Dalton Trumbo

American screenwriter (1905–1976)

Choose Dalton and your child shares a first name with Dalton Trumbo, an American screenwriter. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Dalton, like who?” Dalton Trumbo's Wikipedia article is available in 49 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Dalton Trumbo on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 2,444 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Dalton, 699 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Dalton would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryDalton first shows up in US birth records in 1881, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 144 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1994, when it ranked #85. Today it's #448, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📉Then vs nowDalton was 5.5× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 442 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 2,444.
• 📍Where it's lovedDalton is most popular in Alaska, where it ranks #143, followed by New Hampshire (#206) and Maine (#234). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
• 💬MeaningIn Old English, Dalton means “valley town”.

About the name Dalton

Dalton is a boy name of English origin meaning “valley town”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with D and ending in “-ton”. US birth records list Dalton for boys from 1881 to 2025, in 137 of those 145 years. Its best year was 1994, when it ranked #85 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #448, with 699 babies.

Origin:English names