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Dawn as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Dawn

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The baby name Dawn is a Female name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced UK: /dɔːn/; US: /dɔn/.

Dawn is English in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: English
Pronunciation: UK: /dɔːn/; US: /dɔn/

What is the meaning of the name Dawn ?

The baby name Dawn is a Female name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced UK: /dɔːn/; US: /dɔn/.

Dawn is English in Origin.

From the English word for daybreak, Dawn evokes first light, renewal, and hope. The term traces to Old English dagian, "to become day," and daeg, "day," entering modern usage as a noun for sunrise in the 16th century. As a given name it is most often feminine in English-speaking countries, though occasionally unisex, and carries soft yet vivid natural imagery.

Adopted as a personal name in the 20th century, Dawn rose sharply after World War II and reached peak popularity in the 1960s-70s in the United States and Britain before receding into a quieter, nostalgic choice. English variants and spellings include Dawna, Dawne, and the rare Dawnn; Dawnie appears as a nickname, with elaborations like Dawnelle. Cross-linguistic counterparts with the same meaning include Latin Aurora and Alba, Slavic Zora, and Greek Eos.

Dawn has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Dawn

Dawn French Actor · Born 1957 · United Kingdom Dawn French is a British actress and comedian best known for her role in the comedy series 'The Vicar of Dibley'. She also starred in the sketch show 'French and Saunders' alongside Jennifer Saunders. Her work in these shows has made her a beloved figure in British comedy. Dawn Olivieri Actor · Born 1981 · United States Dawn Olivieri is an American actor best known for her role as Monica Talbot in the TV series House of Lies. She has also appeared in The Vampire Diaries and Heroes, showcasing her versatility across different genres. Dawn Addams Actor · Born 1930 · United Kingdom Dawn Addams was a British actress best known for her roles in films during the 1950s and 1960s. She starred in movies like 'The Moon is Blue' and 'The Robe', showcasing her talent in both comedic and dramatic roles.
Dawnn Lewis Actor · Born 1961 · United States Dawnn Lewis is an American actor best known for her role as Jaleesa Vinson-Taylor on the television show 'A Different World'. She also co-wrote the theme song for the series. In addition to her acting career, she has appeared in films like 'Dreamgirls' and lent her voice to animated series such as 'Futurama'.

Dawn – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 — 874
Ireland Boys 1984 #1 — 338
FJ Boys 0 #17 1 603
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
MT 0 #40 4 1,767
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
JM 0 #69 19 3,714
IN 0 #71 1 2,963
JM Girls 0 #80 259 7,507
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
TW 0 #95 9 4,523
QA 0 #101 6 7,011
PH 0 #102 9 5,607
CY Girls 0 #112 10 3,755
OM 0 #116 6 6,215
KW 0 #119 3 5,216
CR 0 #126 33 5,526
GR 0 #133 3 3,911
IQ 0 #133 1 3,533
MU 0 #134 4 3,613
ID Boys 0 #135 1 4,130
MT Girls 0 #138 14 3,773
PA 0 #138 1 3,797
BW Girls 0 #145 7 4,216
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
AE 0 #164 14 10,220
PR Girls 0 #167 1 3,171
Sweden Girls 2007 #170 2 1,297
HU Boys 0 #174 1 3,954
SG 0 #177 93 11,010
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
LU Girls 0 #189 2 4,850
RU 0 #192 3 3,641
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
HU Girls 0 #225 1 3,308
PS 0 #225 2 5,692
SG Girls 0 #227 476 18,916
BG Girls 0 #229 3 3,559
NA Girls 0 #230 8 7,146
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
MO Boys 0 #233 2 5,842
BD 0 #241 1 5,992
GR Girls 0 #245 5 6,293
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
JP Girls 0 #249 3 6,592
PT 0 #249 2 4,161
NA Boys 0 #252 2 6,830
TW Girls 0 #255 22 8,139
TW Boys 0 #255 2 7,111
MO Girls 0 #257 7 7,056
NG 0 #268 5 5,926
Canada Girls 2024 #275 11 2,795
IL 0 #276 7 6,291
JM Boys 0 #289 5 6,876
HR Girls 0 #294 1 3,687
QA Girls 0 #300 17 15,378
MY 0 #309 22 12,352
CN Boys 0 #310 10 9,639
HK 0 #310 39 8,483
SA 0 #311 2 10,560
CN Girls 0 #317 33 8,829
PH Girls 0 #321 70 13,098
DK Girls 0 #322 8 7,429
ZA 0 #328 120 14,421
KZ Girls 0 #330 3 5,862
DK Boys 0 #332 1 7,401
JO Girls 0 #335 5 7,570
GH Girls 0 #337 1 6,973
CZ Girls 0 #349 3 5,378
SD Girls 0 #358 1 7,678
GH Boys 0 #359 3 8,138
MU Girls 0 #361 2 8,539
PL Girls 0 #364 1 5,096
ZA Girls 0 #367 1,610 25,928
MU Boys 0 #368 2 8,477
OM Girls 0 #381 16 15,987
NL 0 #382 10 2,481
JO Boys 0 #388 2 7,057
EG 0 #389 12 6,387
CR Girls 0 #393 143 11,342
YE 0 #394 5 8,639
PH Boys 0 #402 7 11,440
BD Girls 0 #405 2 8,413
France Girls 2019 #408 4 3,279
CL 0 #432 3 6,867
Spain 0 #439 14 2,326
MX 0 #445 1 8,339
PT Girls 0 #464 8 7,952
HK Girls 0 #472 144 16,104
RU Girls 0 #473 26 11,913
KW Girls 0 #490 26 19,177
IQ Girls 0 #492 13 11,303
HK Boys 0 #498 30 12,905
AE Girls 0 #499 55 20,968
CR Boys 0 #509 2 10,188
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
PA Girls 0 #515 4 9,861
RU Boys 0 #525 2 12,621
LY 0 #526 10 12,703
BH 0 #534 20 17,937
GT Girls 0 #540 2 7,500
PS Girls 0 #540 8 10,981
IR Girls 0 #541 5 8,334
BD Boys 0 #560 17 10,045
CM Girls 0 #560 1 11,671
PS Boys 0 #561 1 10,655
CM Boys 0 #575 1 12,054
IL Girls 0 #606 12 11,648
BO Boys 0 #622 1 9,244
IL Boys 0 #623 3 10,983
AR Girls 0 #630 1 8,289
IN Girls 0 #653 2 13,121
SG Boys 0 #681 17 17,960
LB 0 #687 4 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #693 5 13,071
IT 0 #698 17 4,183
QA Boys 0 #698 10 18,093
NG Girls 0 #722 65 15,093
Finland Girls 2026 #734 5 3,895
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
BR Boys 0 #785 1 12,213
KW Boys 0 #800 7 18,755
Germany Girls 0 #807 32 4,949
United States Girls 2024 #809 108 8,487
OM Boys 0 #861 21 17,948
TN 0 #864 2 13,765
EG Boys 0 #870 17 15,035
NL Girls 0 #880 76 5,933
United States Boys 2024 #887 6 7,044
SA Girls 0 #893 43 25,931
MY Girls 0 #895 100 24,821
Spain Girls 0 #903 81 5,561
CL Girls 0 #915 1 14,098
PE Boys 0 #926 1 14,506
EG Girls 0 #937 23 14,742
NG Boys 0 #938 14 16,906
CO Boys 0 #981 1 15,656
PE Girls 0 #1,010 1 14,861
IN Boys 0 #1,031 9 16,750
MX Boys 0 #1,031 3 16,355
AE Boys 0 #1,077 16 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,093 19 25,439
MA 0 #1,111 18 20,986
ZA Boys 0 #1,121 58 25,619
CO Girls 0 #1,147 6 16,140
TR 0 #1,189 23 19,440
DZ 0 #1,233 2 20,130
MX Girls 0 #1,260 8 17,781
IT Girls 0 #1,365 82 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,585 30 28,008

Dawn is popular in 75 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
Scotland, United Kingdom
Canada
United States
France

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Dawn

Dawn is predominantly a girl's name.
Dawn is a one syllable name, pronounced UK: /dɔːn/; US: /dɔn/.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Dawne, Dawna, Dawnelle, Dawnette and Dawnie.
Across languages, Dawn has these equivalents: Aurora (Latin), Eos (Greek), Zora (Slavic), Zorya/Zarya (Slavic myth), Usha (Sanskrit).
Yes, very popular — Dawn ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Dawn ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Dawn's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2015 to #1 in 2025 in Ireland.
Yes — 4 notable people named Dawn are in our database, including Dawn French (Actor), Dawn Olivieri (Actor), Dawn Addams (Actor).