Dean Name Meaning

The name Dean has two meanings. The first is “valley” and the second is “leader” or “head”. It is a strong, masculine name that can be seen as both a sign of strength and leadership.

History of the Name Dean

The name Dean has its roots in the Old English word “dean”, which means “valley”. It was originally used as a surname before becoming a popular given name. In the Middle Ages, it was a common title for a head of a religious chapter or group. The word also has its roots in Latin, where it translates to “leader” or “head”.

Origin of the Name Dean

The name Dean is believed to have originated in England. It is a combination of the Old English word for “valley” and the Latin word for “leader” or “head”. It is believed to have been used first as a surname before eventually becoming a popular given name.

Popularity of the Name Dean

The name Dean has been steadily increasing in popularity over the years. In the United States, it is currently the 160th most popular name for boys. It is most popular in the states of California, Texas, and New York. It is particularly popular among young parents, who find the name to be strong and timeless.

Final Thoughts on the Name Dean

There are many reasons why the name Dean has remained popular for so long. It is a strong, timeless name with deep roots in English and Latin. It is also associated with strength, leadership, and success, making it an attractive name for young parents. Additionally, its short and sweet two-syllable sound makes it easy to pronounce and remember.

The name Dean has been around for centuries and its popularity has waxed and waned over the years. Its roots are in Old English and Latin, and it is often associated with strength and leadership.

Infographic of Dean name meaning, which is Derived from the word dene, Dean is an English name meaning valley.
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Dean Name Popularity

How popular is the name Dean? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 — 0 0%
1911 283 50 0.0134%
1912 259 144 0.0286%
1913 258 176 0.031%
1914 229 299 0.0429%
1915 224 416 0.0458%
1916 217 467 0.0483%
1917 203 530 0.053%
1918 189 641 0.0597%
1919 180 689 0.0658%
1920 181 756 0.068%
1921 172 827 0.0722%
1922 159 954 0.0856%
1923 156 968 0.0864%
1924 143 1,122 0.0966%
1925 140 1,153 0.102%
1926 139 1,215 0.1105%
1927 133 1,306 0.118%
1928 136 1,251 0.1169%
1929 133 1,259 0.1215%
1930 130 1,334 0.1277%
1931 128 1,317 0.1334%
1932 123 1,392 0.1409%
1933 128 1,286 0.138%
1934 118 1,451 0.1501%
1935 121 1,415 0.1456%
1936 125 1,312 0.1362%
1937 126 1,300 0.1319%
1938 129 1,317 0.1286%
1939 136 1,257 0.1236%
1940 144 1,200 0.1129%
1941 144 1,269 0.1128%
1942 152 1,243 0.0984%
1943 142 1,488 0.114%
1944 134 1,560 0.1259%
1945 136 1,568 0.1286%
1946 132 1,876 0.1271%
1947 140 1,992 0.1193%
1948 142 1,905 0.1193%
1949 129 2,087 0.1297%
1950 120 2,327 0.1445%
1951 105 2,884 0.1701%
1952 102 3,159 0.181%
1953 104 3,107 0.1756%
1954 109 3,160 0.1729%
1955 111 3,084 0.1677%
1956 99 3,710 0.1964%
1957 93 4,371 0.2272%
1958 97 4,296 0.2273%
1959 95 4,428 0.2331%
1960 94 4,520 0.2386%
1961 84 4,927 0.261%
1962 86 4,658 0.2537%
1963 86 4,619 0.2573%
1964 85 4,512 0.2563%
1965 88 4,098 0.2506%
1966 84 4,040 0.2588%
1967 78 3,916 0.258%
1968 76 3,802 0.2532%
1969 89 3,447 0.2237%
1970 112 2,941 0.1848%
1971 137 2,243 0.1493%
1972 156 1,670 0.1226%
1973 168 1,395 0.1076%
1974 184 1,196 0.092%
1975 211 992 0.0772%
1976 229 864 0.067%
1977 240 841 0.0624%
1978 263 741 0.0551%
1979 251 809 0.0574%
1980 265 783 0.0536%
1981 277 720 0.049%
1982 277 719 0.0481%
1983 272 721 0.0489%
1984 280 714 0.048%
1985 267 767 0.0505%
1986 262 814 0.0539%
1987 267 783 0.0513%
1988 273 815 0.0523%
1989 281 843 0.0522%
1990 286 862 0.052%
1991 318 778 0.0477%
1992 316 795 0.0498%
1993 319 790 0.0507%
1994 317 791 0.0515%
1995 335 705 0.0468%
1996 312 814 0.0544%
1997 329 768 0.0519%
1998 352 712 0.0476%
1999 363 684 0.0457%
2000 379 663 0.0434%
2001 360 702 0.0466%
2002 377 664 0.0443%
2003 388 638 0.0419%
2004 377 700 0.0459%
2005 388 710 0.0464%
2006 388 741 0.0473%
2007 350 870 0.0551%
2008 345 913 0.0591%
2009 306 1,024 0.0685%
2010 289 1,143 0.0793%
2011 287 1,205 0.0846%
2012 258 1,357 0.0952%
2013 233 1,507 0.1058%
2014 221 1,680 0.1153%
2015 202 1,933 0.1328%
2016 204 1,946 0.135%
2017 187 2,059 0.1475%
2018 172 2,234 0.1626%
2019 173 2,204 0.1628%
2020 176 2,107 0.1655%
2021 164 2,333 0.1909%

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Dean

If you like Dean, you’ll love these other names like Dean.

What names are variants of Dean?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Dean.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Deane

Valley; church official

English

Deen

Valley; church official

English

Dene

Valley; church official

English

Deyn

Valley; church official

English

Dino

Spanish

What names sound like Dean?

If you like how Dean sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Dean.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Dan

Judge; God is my judge

Hebrew

Den

Follower of Dionysius; son of Dennis

Greek

Deon
Doan

Low, rolling hills

English

Lists With Dean

Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Dean.

Siblings of Dean

Mamas with kids named Dean also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Shane

God is gracious

Irish

Gracelynn

Graceful

English

Everleigh

Boar meadow

English

Sofia

Wisdom

Greek

Samuel

Name of God

Hebrew

Madison

Son of Maud

English

14 Comments

  1. We named are son Dean after my husband and I we love it.

    Reply

  2. We chose Dean for a name because it was my grandfathers name. We wanted a name that was strong and unique.

    Reply

  3. Dean named himself in a dream I had and me and father both loved it ! It’s strong , one syllable and elegant. We also love that it means faith in Arabic

    Reply

  4. Dean Edward. Again I got Dean from the TV show Supernatural and his middle name Jacob I also got for the movie saga Twilight.

    Reply

  5. My husband and I chose the name dean because my favorite Show is Supernatural. Dean is my favorite character in the show. It also has to to with my mother in laws cousin. Unfortunately he has passed away. I love his name and it suits him so well.

    Reply

  6. Dean is named after someone important in my husband’s life who passed away. His middle name is Asher because we loved how it sounded together

    Reply

  7. We chose the name Dean after my Fiance’s stepdad’s dad. He thought of this man as a role model. The name Dean is unique and not really used anymore.

    Reply

  8. My husband thought of it and I wanted a strong, traditional name but not a super common one. I don’t know any Dean’s or anyone with a kid named Dean.

    Reply

  9. Family name

    Reply

  10. We named our son Dean because my father’s middle name is Dean an my first name is the feminine version of it as well so we wanted to keep it going. His middle name is william after my husband’s and father in laws middle name.

    Reply

  11. We wanted a unique name that was still easy to say and spell.

    Reply

  12. Dean is my Dads middle name

    Reply

  13. We chose Dean because it felt strong, masculine and with a bit of “old school” flair. We have a short last name, and we liked the idea of two short names.

    Reply

  14. We chose the name Dean because we’re huge Supernatural fans. His name is actually Steven Dean, Steven after his daddy. We were trying to come up with a middle name and as soon as my husband said Dean, I knew that was it.

    Reply

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