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The short answer
Dalton is a masculine name used in English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning ‘valley town’ in Old English. A notable bearer of the surname was John Dalton (1766-1844), the English chemist and physicist who theorized about the existence of atoms." It ranked #448 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, from an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning ‘valley town’ in Old English. A notable bearer of the surname was John Dalton (1766-1844), the English chemist and physicist who theorized about the existence of atoms. The entry lists its usage as English.
Editorial confidence: established
Popularity
Dalton ranked #448 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #448 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Dalton in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Dalton mean?
Dalton means "valley town", according to Behind the Name.
Is Dalton a popular name?
Dalton ranked #448 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Dalton a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Dalton appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Dalton — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
