Dawon
A masculine Korean name meaning "bright, bright one".
Name Census estimates that about 535 living Americans carry the first name Dawon. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dawon today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dawon births was 1990 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dawon. 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.
People living today
535
~ 1 in 640,662 Americans
Peak year
1990
24 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
2019 SSA rank
#12,592
Tracked since 1971
Popularity
Dawon: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dawon from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 156 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
Dawon 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 Dawon during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dawons live
Origin
Meaning and history of Dawon
The name Dawon has its origins in the Korean language, deriving from the combination of the words "da" meaning "big" or "great" and "won" which translates to "source" or "origin." Historically, it emerged as a name during the Goryeo dynasty in Korea, which ruled from 918 to 1392 CE.
In ancient Korean texts and historical records, the name Dawon was often associated with individuals of great importance or those who held positions of power and influence within the royal court or government. The name's connotation of "great origin" was seen as a fitting moniker for those born into nobility or those who achieved significant accomplishments.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Dawon can be found in the Annals of the Goryeo Dynasty, a historical text that chronicles the events and figures of that era. The text mentions a prominent scholar and poet named Dawon Kim (1070-1116), who was renowned for his literary works and contributions to the development of Korean literature.
Another notable figure bearing the name Dawon was a high-ranking military commander named Dawon Shin (1345-1418), who played a crucial role in defending the Korean peninsula against Japanese invasions during the late 14th and early 15th centuries. His bravery and strategic leadership earned him a place in Korean history as a revered military hero.
In the realm of religion, the name Dawon was also associated with Buddhist monks and scholars. One such figure was Dawon Gihwa (1376-1453), a renowned Zen Buddhist master and calligrapher who gained recognition for his contributions to the spread of Zen Buddhism in Korea during the Joseon Dynasty.
Moving forward in history, the name Dawon continued to be bestowed upon individuals of significance and achievements. One example is Dawon Park (1637-1692), a renowned Confucian scholar and philosopher who was highly regarded for his interpretations of Confucian teachings and his writings on moral philosophy.
Lastly, Dawon Lee (1890-1965) was a prominent figure in the Korean independence movement against Japanese colonial rule in the early 20th century. He played a pivotal role in advocating for Korea's sovereignty and promoting Korean nationalism through his writings and activism.
People
Dawon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dawon 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
Dawon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dawon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 535 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dawon 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 640,662 US residents.
Is Dawon a common name?
We classify Dawon as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 552 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dawon most popular?
The single biggest year for Dawon was 1990, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dawon is about 32 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dawon a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dawon 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.
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.