Dax
A unisex name of unknown origin and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 11,350 living Americans carry the first name Dax. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dax today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dax births was 2019 (749 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dax. 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
- • Dax is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 16 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
11K
~ 1 in 30,199 Americans
Peak year
2019
749 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#636
Tracked since 1967
Gender
Gender distribution for Dax
Out of the 11,540 babies given the name Dax since 1880, 99.9% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Dax as a male name
- Ranked #636 in 2024
- 438 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (749 births)
Dax as a female name
- Ranked #15,692 in 2020
- 5 female births in 2020
- Peak: 2015 (6 births)
Popularity
Dax: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dax from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 5,007 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Dax remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dax 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 Dax during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dax' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 46 states and territories. Texas, California, Utah recorded the most babies named Dax, while Connecticut, New Mexico, Maine recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 201 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dax
The given name Dax has its origins in the Frisian language, which is spoken in the coastal regions of the Netherlands and Germany. The name is believed to have derived from the Old Frisian word "dak," meaning "roof" or "shelter." This suggests that the name may have been associated with concepts of protection, security, or shelter in its early use.
Historically, the name Dax has been recorded in various ancient texts and documents from the Frisian region. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Frisian legal text known as the "Lex Frisionum," which dates back to the 8th century AD. This text mentions individuals with the name Dax, indicating its use during the medieval period.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Dax was a Frisian chieftain who lived in the 9th century AD. While his exact name is not known, he was referred to as "Dax the Strong" in chronicles of the time, suggesting he was a formidable leader and warrior.
In the 12th century, a monk named Dax is mentioned in the records of the Benedictine monastery in Egmond, Netherlands. This Dax is believed to have been a scribe and scholar, contributing to the preservation of historical texts and manuscripts during that era.
Moving forward in time, a renowned Dutch painter named Dax van der Meer lived in the 16th century (1530-1591). He was known for his portraiture and religious works, which adorned churches and private collections throughout the Netherlands.
Another notable figure with the name Dax was Dax von Hesslingen, a German military officer who served during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). He is recorded as having played a significant role in several battles and campaigns during this prolonged conflict.
In more recent centuries, the name Dax has been used sporadically, but its historical roots can be traced back to the Frisian language and culture, where it likely originated as a name associated with protection, shelter, and strength.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Dax
People
Dax + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dax 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
Dax: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dax?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11,350 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dax 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 30,199 US residents.
Is Dax a common name?
We classify Dax as "Uncommon". It ranks above 97.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11,540 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dax most popular?
The single biggest year for Dax was 2019, when 749 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dax is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dax a male name?
Yes, 99.9% of people registered as Dax 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.