Dimples
Small indentations on the cheeks or skin, referring to a physical feature.
Name Census estimates that about 2 living Americans carry the first name Dimples. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Dimples today is around 100 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dimples births was 1918 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dimples. 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 Dimples is about 100 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Dimples' were born before 1936.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dimples. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
2
~ 1 in 171,377,169 Americans
Peak year
1918
8 babies that year
Average age
100
years old
1936 SSA rank
#4,349
Tracked since 1913
Popularity
Dimples: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dimples from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 36 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Dimples remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dimples 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 Dimples 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 Dimples
The given name Dimples is an English word that refers to the small indentations or creases in the cheeks when someone smiles. It is believed to have originated as a nickname or descriptive term in the English language during the late 16th or early 17th century.
Historically, Dimples was likely used as a playful or affectionate nickname for a person with prominent dimples on their cheeks or face. The earliest recorded use of the term "dimple" dates back to the late 16th century, when it appeared in the works of English playwright and poet William Shakespeare.
While Dimples was initially used as a nickname or descriptive term, it gradually evolved into a given name in its own right. One of the earliest recorded instances of Dimples being used as a first name was in the 19th century.
One notable person named Dimples was Dimples Cooper, an American actress and singer who was born in 1913 and died in 1988. She was best known for her roles in Hollywood musicals and comedies during the 1930s and 1940s.
Another historical figure with the name Dimples was Dimples Warren, an American burlesque performer and actress who lived from 1919 to 1990. She was a popular figure in the burlesque circuit during the mid-20th century.
In the world of sports, Dimples Lewis was a professional golfer from the United States who was born in 1916 and died in 2009. She won several tournaments during her career and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1977.
Dimples Marshbaum was an American artist and illustrator who lived from 1903 to 1992. She was known for her whimsical and humorous illustrations, particularly in children's books and magazines.
Lastly, Dimples Bracey was an American actress and dancer who was born in 1909 and died in 1995. She appeared in several Broadway shows and Hollywood films during the 1930s and 1940s.
While the name Dimples was initially a descriptive term or nickname, it has become a unique and distinctive given name in its own right, with various notable individuals bearing this name throughout history.
People
Dimples + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dimples 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
Dimples: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dimples?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dimples 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 171,377,169 US residents.
Is Dimples a common name?
We classify Dimples as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 66 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dimples most popular?
The single biggest year for Dimples was 1918, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dimples is about 100 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 Dimples in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dimples a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dimples 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.
Is Dimples still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dimples 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 Dimples 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 Dimples?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.