Find out how popular the first name Dalton has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Dalton by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Dalton is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 99% of people named Dalton being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 578 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Dalton.

The history of the first name Dalton

The name Dalton has its origins in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture and language. It is derived from the Old English words "dæl" meaning "valley" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement". The name likely referred to someone who lived in a valley settlement or a secluded town.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Dalton can be found in the Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions several places named Dalton, indicating that the name was already in use as a place name by the 11th century.

In the Middle Ages, the name Dalton became a common surname in England, particularly in the northern counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. However, it was also used as a given name, though less frequently.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the given name Dalton was Dalton of Lonsdale, a 12th-century English nobleman who lived in the village of Lonsdale, Lancashire. He is mentioned in several historical records from that period.

Another notable bearer of the name Dalton was John Dalton, the famous English chemist, meteorologist, and physicist who lived from 1766 to 1844. He is best known for his pioneering work in the development of atomic theory and the study of color blindness, which he himself suffered from.

In the 19th century, Dalton was also the given name of Dalton Trumbo, an American novelist and screenwriter who was born in 1905 and died in 1976. He is renowned for his work on films such as "Roman Holiday" and "Spartacus", and for his struggle against the Hollywood blacklist during the McCarthy era.

Dalton Caldwell, an American entrepreneur and software developer, is another notable bearer of the name. He was born in 1978 and is known for co-founding the online music service Imeem and the app development platform App.net.

Finally, Dalton Philips is the name of a British businessman and former CEO of Morrisons, one of the largest supermarket chains in the United Kingdom. He was born in 1968 and served as the CEO of Morrisons from 2010 to 2015.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Dalton was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dalton, please contact us.

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