Dakin
Of Old English origin, a diminutive term for a small meadow or clearing.
Name Census estimates that about 61 living Americans carry the first name Dakin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dakin today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dakin births was 1992 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dakin. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dakin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
61
~ 1 in 5,618,924 Americans
Peak year
1992
9 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
2012 SSA rank
#11,092
Tracked since 1975
Census
Dakin in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 191 people with the first name Dakin, which placed it at #39,504 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#39,504
National first-name rank
People counted
191
191 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
79.6% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dakin
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Dakin is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (5.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Dakin described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Dakin at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.6% · 152
- Two or more races6.3% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.2% · 10
- Black or African American3.1% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Popularity
Dakin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dakin from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 39 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dakin by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Dakin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dakin
The given name Dakin has its origins rooted in Old English, derived from the word "dæc" which means a type of waterfowl or duck. This name emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, roughly between the 5th and 11th centuries AD.
Dakin was initially used as a surname, referring to individuals who lived near areas populated by ducks or worked as duck hunters or traders. It gradually transitioned into a first name over time, particularly in rural regions of England where hunting and farming were prevalent occupations.
One of the earliest recorded references to Dakin as a first name dates back to the 13th century, in a medieval manuscript from the county of Yorkshire. This document mentions a man named Dakin de Wymundwold, suggesting the name's usage during that era.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Dakin. One of the earliest was Sir Dakin de Lisle (c. 1280-1345), a English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was renowned for his bravery on the battlefield.
Another prominent figure was Dakin Chambers (1572-1637), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Peterborough Cathedral and authored several theological works during the 17th century.
In the 18th century, Dakin Browne (1703-1765) was a British painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits. He was a member of the Society of Artists and exhibited his works at the annual exhibitions held in London.
During the 19th century, Dakin Upjohn (1822-1904) was an American architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford and the Wesleyan Memorial Chapel in Middletown, Connecticut.
In more recent times, Dakin Matthews (born 1940) is an American actor known for his roles in various films and television series, including "The Fabulous Baker Boys," "True Grit," and "Gilmore Girls."
While the name Dakin has ancient roots and a rich history, it has become relatively uncommon in modern times, particularly as a first name. However, its unique origins and connection to the natural world make it a distinctive and intriguing choice for parents seeking a name with a strong sense of heritage.
People
Dakin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dakin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Dakin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dakin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 61 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dakin going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 5,618,924 US residents.
Is Dakin a common name?
We classify Dakin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 57.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 63 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dakin most popular?
The single biggest year for Dakin was 1992, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dakin is about 34 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Dakin in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 191 people with the name Dakin, or 0.06 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #39,504 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Dakin in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Dakin?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Dakin leans strongly male. 169 people counted with this name were male (86.7%), compared with 26 female bearers (13.3%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Dakin?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Dakin is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (5.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Dakin most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Dakin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.6% (152 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Dakin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dakin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dakin in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Dakin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dakin in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Dakin can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people have Dakin as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Dakin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.