Dawn

At a Glance: Name: Dawn – Meaning: first light of day, from the common noun "dawn" – Origin: English – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: DAWN

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Dawn is a clean, modern girl's name taken straight from the English word for first light of day. Its pronunciation is simple and clean: DAWN. For parents who want a name that's also an everyday word with a clear, literal meaning, Dawn fits that brief exactly.

Meaning & Origin of Dawn

Meaning: First light of day, from the common noun "dawn".

Origin: English.

Source: Wiktionary.

How to Pronounce Dawn

Phonetic: DAWN   IPA: /ˈdɔːn/

Popularity of Dawn

Dawn peaked at #14 in 1971 with 14,288 babies given the name that year, but by 2024 it had fallen to #1850 with just 108 babies — a steep drop over five decades of Social Security data stretching back to 1888.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1888–2024.

Make Dawn Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Dawn, 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.

• Cady
• Briar
• Bunny
• Dove
• Edie
• Esmae

FAQ

What does the name Dawn mean?

First light of day, from the common noun “dawn”. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Dawn)

How do you pronounce Dawn?

Dawn is pronounced DAWN (IPA: /ˈdɔːn/).

Is Dawn a popular name right now?

Dawn peaked at #14 in 1971 and is ranked #1850 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1888–2024.)

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