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At a Glance: Name: Dallas – Meaning: roughly "dwelling in the valley" (dale + house/abode) – Origin: Scottish (place name and surname) – Gender: Neutral – Pronunciation: DAL-us
Dallas is a Scottish place name and surname that's used as a name for any gender today, and it fits neatly into both outdoorsy, nature-inspired and timeless, classic styles. Some baby-name sites claim it means 'field near the water,' but that gloss isn't backed by any source — the documented roots trace to 'dale' plus a word for house or dwelling, giving a meaning closer to 'dwelling in the valley.' It's pronounced DAL-us.
Meaning & Origin of Dallas
Meaning: Roughly "dwelling in the valley" (dale + house/abode).
Origin: Scottish (place name and surname).
A common claim: Dallas is sometimes said on baby-name sites to mean 'field near the water.' Actually: That gloss isn't supported by any source; the documented etymology (from the surname/place name) points instead to 'dale/valley' plus a dwelling element, roughly 'dwelling in the valley.'
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Dallas
Phonetic: DAL-us IPA: /ˈdæləs/
Popularity of Dallas
Dallas peaked at #214 in 1995, when 1,374 babies were given the name, and in 2024 it sat at #243 with 1,448 babies — so it's actually holding steady or ticking up in raw numbers even as its rank has drifted a bit lower.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Make Dallas Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Dallas, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Dallas mean?
Roughly “dwelling in the valley” (dale + house/abode). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Dallas)
How do you pronounce Dallas?
Dallas is pronounced DAL-us (IPA: /ˈdæləs/).
Is Dallas a popular name right now?
Dallas is near its all-time peak (#214 in 1995), ranked #243 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
📊 How popular is Dallas? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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