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At a Glance: Name: Dawson – Meaning: son of Daw, a medieval pet form of David — effectively "son of David" – Origin: English (patronymic surname) – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: DAW-sun
Dawson is an English surname name, pronounced DAW-sun, that started life as a patronymic — it comes from "Daw," a medieval pet form of David, so it literally means "son of Daw" (in effect, "son of David"). It's a boy's name with a timeless, classic style. If you're weighing it for a son, you're choosing a name with clear roots in an occupational-style English surname tradition rather than a symbolic or nature-based meaning.
Meaning & Origin of Dawson
Meaning: Son of daw, a medieval pet form of david — effectively "son of david".
Origin: English (patronymic surname).
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Dawson
Phonetic: DAW-sun IPA: /ˈdɔːsən/
Popularity of Dawson
Dawson has held remarkably steady across SSA records dating back to 1885: it peaked at #136 in 1999 with 2,802 babies given the name, and in 2024 it ranked #139 with 2,576 — nearly the same position and volume 25 years later.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1885–2024.
Make Dawson Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Dawson, 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 Dawson mean?
Son of daw, a medieval pet form of david — effectively “son of david”. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Dawson)
How do you pronounce Dawson?
Dawson is pronounced DAW-sun (IPA: /ˈdɔːsən/).
Is Dawson a popular name right now?
Dawson is near its all-time peak (#136 in 1999), ranked #139 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1885–2024.)
📊 How popular is Dawson? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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