Given name & surname
Dahl
“from the valley; resembling the flower”
Dahl is a variant of Dahlia. One Swedish interpretation is “from the valley; resembling the flower.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Dahl is a variant of Dahlia. One Swedish interpretation is “from the valley; resembling the flower.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Dahl is a variant of Dahlia. An origin associated with Dahlia is Swedish.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1922. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Dahl through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 147
- 147 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1940
- 15 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 1963. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 15 in 1940. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 213 as a first name in 2020; 21,156 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Dahl’s family of names
In English usage, Dahl as a surname shares an earlier linguistic root with Dale. Dahl has a related form in Dahlia. In English usage, Dahl as a surname shares an earlier linguistic root with Dell.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Dahl has relatives in 4 languages.
11 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
Similar names
If you love Dahl, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Glade
“from the meadow in the C woods” · “from the clearing in the woods”
>99% boys
Fairley
“from the far meadow”
>99% boys
Mervyn
“a friend of the sea”
>99% boys
Amarante
“a flower that never fades”
>99% boys
Walmer
“Welshman” · “lake, sea”
>99% boys
Murrel
“of the shining sea”
80% boys · 20% girls
Avon
“of the river”
>99% boys
Virlyn
“from the alder-tree grove”
>99% boys