Dayl
Unisex Persian name meaning "basket maker" or "daybreak".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Dayl. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 75.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Dayl today is around 73 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dayl births was 1947 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dayl. 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
- • The typical person named Dayl is about 73 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Dayls were born before 1963.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dayl. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
1947
5 babies that year
Average age
73
years old
1954 SSA rank
#3,948
Tracked since 1947
Gender
Gender distribution for Dayl
Dayl is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 20 total registrations, 5 (25.0%) were male and 15 (75.0%) were female.
Dayl as a male name
- Ranked #3,948 in 1954
- 5 male births in 1954
- Peak: 1954 (5 births)
Dayl as a female name
- Ranked #6,022 in 1955
- 5 female births in 1955
- Peak: 1947 (5 births)
Popularity
Dayl: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dayl from the 1940s through to the 1950s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 10 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dayl 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 Dayl 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 Dayl
The name Dayl has its origins rooted in the ancient Celtic language, dating back to the 5th century BCE. It is believed to have derived from the Proto-Celtic word "dālos," which translates to "meadow" or "field." The name was initially prevalent among the Gaelic tribes inhabiting the British Isles and parts of modern-day France and Spain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dayl can be found in the 8th-century Irish annals, where it was mentioned as the name of a prominent chieftain from the Uí Néill dynasty. This particular chieftain, Dayl mac Cernach, played a significant role in the defense of the Kingdom of Mide against Viking invasions in the late 8th century.
In the 12th century, the name Dayl appeared in the Welsh epic poem "The Mabinogion," which chronicled the tales and legends of ancient Welsh literature. The character Dayl ap Gwion was portrayed as a skilled bard and storyteller, renowned for his wisdom and bardic talents.
During the Middle Ages, the name Dayl gained popularity among the nobility and wealthy landowners in various parts of Europe. Notable historical figures bearing this name include Dayl de Montfort (1208-1265), a prominent French nobleman and crusader who played a pivotal role in the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars in southern France.
In the 16th century, Dayl Cartier (1491-1557), a renowned French explorer and navigator, is credited with claiming what is now known as Canada for France. His explorations and detailed accounts of the St. Lawrence River and the surrounding regions contributed significantly to the expansion of French colonial interests in North America.
Another notable figure was Dayl O'Donnell (1572-1628), an Irish chieftain and member of the powerful O'Donnell dynasty of Donegal. He played a crucial role in the Nine Years' War against English rule in Ireland, leading his forces in several major battles before ultimately being forced into exile in Spain.
Throughout history, the name Dayl has been carried by various individuals from different walks of life, including artists, writers, and scholars. However, its roots can be traced back to the ancient Celtic cultures and their reverence for nature and the land, reflecting the name's original meaning of "meadow" or "field."
People
Dayl + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dayl 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
Dayl: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dayl?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dayl 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 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Dayl a common name?
We classify Dayl as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 20 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dayl most popular?
The single biggest year for Dayl was 1947, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dayl is about 73 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dayl a female name?
Yes, 75.0% of people registered as Dayl in the SSA data are female. 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.