Dublin
An anglicized variant of the Irish Gaelic name Dubh Linn, meaning "black pool".
Name Census estimates that about 458 living Americans carry the first name Dublin. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 72.3% of registrations being male. The average person named Dublin today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dublin births was 2011 (40 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dublin. 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
458
~ 1 in 748,372 Americans
Peak year
2011
40 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,139
Tracked since 2003
Gender
Gender distribution for Dublin
Dublin is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 462 total registrations, 334 (72.3%) were male and 128 (27.7%) were female.
Dublin as a male name
- Ranked #10,139 in 2024
- 7 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2011 (29 births)
Dublin as a female name
- Ranked #15,877 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2012 (15 births)
Popularity
Dublin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dublin from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 256 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Dublin remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dublin 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 Dublin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dublins live
Origin
Meaning and history of Dublin
Dublin is a given name of Irish origin, derived from the name of the capital city of Ireland. The name Dublin itself is believed to have originated from the Irish Gaelic phrase "Dubh Linn," which translates to "black pool" or "dark tidal pool."
The name Dublin likely emerged in the early medieval period, around the 8th or 9th century, when the city of Dublin was founded along the banks of the River Liffey. The name was initially used to refer to the settlement itself, but over time, it gradually became adopted as a personal name.
In ancient Irish literature and historical records, there are no direct references to individuals named Dublin. However, the name's connection to the city of Dublin is well-documented, and it is mentioned in various chronicles and annals of the time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Dublin was Dublin O'Toole, an Irish chieftain and leader who lived in the 12th century. He was a prominent figure in the history of Dublin and played a significant role in defending the city against Anglo-Norman invaders.
Another notable figure with the name Dublin was Dublin Thomas, an Irish soldier and explorer who lived in the 17th century. He is believed to have been one of the first Europeans to set foot in the Pacific Northwest region of North America.
In the 19th century, Dublin Smith was an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia between 1845 and 1849.
A more recent historical figure with the name Dublin was Dublin Macaulay, an Irish author and playwright who lived from 1864 to 1936. He was known for his works that explored themes of Irish identity and culture.
Finally, Dublin O'Connor was an Irish-American artist and sculptor who lived from 1888 to 1967. He is renowned for his public sculptures and monuments found in various cities across the United States.
While the name Dublin is not as common as it once was, it remains a unique and intriguing given name with a rich history and connection to the city of Dublin and the Irish cultural heritage.
People
Dublin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dublin 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
Dublin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dublin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 458 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dublin 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 748,372 US residents.
Is Dublin a common name?
We classify Dublin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 462 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dublin most popular?
The single biggest year for Dublin was 2011, when 40 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dublin is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dublin a male name?
Yes, 72.3% of people registered as Dublin 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.