Dwayne
Boy name · American · Celtic · English · Irish
Meaningdark · Irish
- US rank
- #1,564
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #111 in 1961
109 babies were named Dwayne in the US in 2025. It has dropped 469 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1912–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Dwayne you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Dwayne
Dwayne Johnson
American actor and professional wrestler (born 1972)
Choose Dwayne and your child shares a first name with Dwayne Johnson, an American actor and professional wrestler. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Dwayne, like who?” Dwayne Johnson's Wikipedia article is available in 112 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Dwayne Johnson on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 15,674 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Dwayne, 109 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Dwayne would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryDwayne first shows up in US birth records in 1912, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 113 years since.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1961, when it ranked #111. Today it's #1,564, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowDwayne was 3.2× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 4,826 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 15,674.
- TrendDwayne has slipped 469 places over the last five years and now sits at #1,564. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedDwayne is most popular in Louisiana, where it ranks #591, followed by Maryland (#809) and Pennsylvania (#846). It's in the top 1,000 in 4 states.
- MeaningIn Irish, Dwayne means “dark”. Our records link it to American, Celtic and English roots.
About the name Dwayne
Dwayne is a boy name of American, Celtic and English origin meaning “dark”. It has 6 letters and 1 syllable, starting with D and ending in “-yne”. US birth records list Dwayne for boys from 1912 to 2025, in 114 of those 114 years. Its best year was 1961, when it ranked #111 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #1,564, with 109 babies.
Origin:American namesCeltic namesEnglish namesIrish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 24 | 41,110 boys |
| 1920s | 70 | 14,249 boys |
| 1930s | 172 | 5,815 boys |
| 1940s | 183 | 5,476 boys |
| 1950s | 381 | 2,627 boys |
| 1960s | 1,380 | 725 boys |
| 1970s | 891 | 1,122 boys |
| 1980s | 493 | 2,030 boys |
| 1990s | 286 | 3,495 boys |
| 2000s | 175 | 5,723 boys |
| 2010s | 145 | 6,906 boys |
| 2020s | 85 | 11,827 boys |
Other spellings of Dwayne
More American boy names
- Boy name: Henry · ruler of the home
- Unisex name: Maverick · independent, unbranded
- Unisex name: Kai · sea
- Unisex name: Jace · healer
- Boy name: Jaxon · son of Jack
- Boy name: Milo · possibly gracious
- Boy name: Bryson · son of Brice
- Boy name: Louis · famous warrior
Questions about the name Dwayne
What does the name Dwayne mean?
Dwayne means “dark” in Irish.
What is the origin of the name Dwayne?
Dwayne has American, Celtic, English, Irish roots in our records. Other American names include Henry, Maverick, Kai.
Is Dwayne a boy or girl name?
Dwayne is a boy name.
How popular is the name Dwayne?
Dwayne ranked #1,564 for US boys in 2025, given to 109 babies. Its best year was 1961 (#111).