Dewit
A Dutch name meaning "the wet one" or "the moist one".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Dewit. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dewit today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dewit births was 1915 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dewit. 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 Dewit. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1915
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1915 SSA rank
#3,969
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Dewit: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Dewit 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 Dewit during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Dewit
The name Dewit is a relatively uncommon given name with origins that can be traced back to the Netherlands. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch words "de" and "wit," which together translate to "the white." The name likely originated in the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance period, around the 15th or 16th century.
While there are no definitive records of the name Dewit appearing in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is possible that the name was used informally in certain regions of the Netherlands during its early development. The earliest recorded instances of the name Dewit date back to the 17th century, when it began to appear in various Dutch census and church records.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Dewit was Jan Dewit, a Dutch painter born in 1625 and known for his genre scenes and portraits. Another notable figure was Cornelis Dewit, a Dutch statesman and military officer who lived from 1623 to 1672 and played a crucial role in the Dutch Republic's struggles against England and France.
In the 19th century, a prominent bearer of the name was Jacobus Dewit, a Dutch architect born in 1812 and known for his work on several landmark buildings in Amsterdam and other Dutch cities. Later in the same century, Pieter Dewit (1843-1917) gained recognition as a Dutch politician and member of the House of Representatives.
Another individual of note was Johannes Dewit, a Dutch-born missionary who lived from 1877 to 1956 and spent much of his life working in Indonesia, where he established several schools and churches. His efforts in promoting education and Christianity had a significant impact on the local communities.
While the name Dewit is most closely associated with the Netherlands, it is possible that variations or similar spellings may have been adopted in other regions or cultures over time. However, the core origins and historical significance of the name remain rooted in Dutch culture and history.
People
Dewit + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dewit 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
Dewit: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dewit?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dewit 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 - US residents.
Is Dewit a common name?
We classify Dewit as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dewit most popular?
The single biggest year for Dewit was 1915, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dewit is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Dewit in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dewit a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dewit 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 Dewit still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dewit 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 Dewit 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Dewit?
You can see how many people share the name Dewit on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.