Given name & surname
Dash
“a charming man; one who is fast”
Dash is used as a given name and a surname. One American interpretation is “a charming man; one who is fast.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One American interpretation is “a charming man; one who is fast.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is American.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1984. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Dash through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,384
- 4,297 boys · 87 girls
- Most popular year
- 2017
- 327 babies
- 2025
- 207
- #1,056 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −15%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 207 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,056 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 13.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 322 in 2017. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (21). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,792 as a first name in 2020; 4,224 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.
Dash’s family of names
Dash has a related form in Dashea. Dash has a related form in Dashell. Dash has a related form in Dashel.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Dashelvariant
- Dashellvariant
- Dashellevariant
- Dasheavariant
- Dashervariant
- Dashelevariant
- Dashievariant
- Dashivariant
Show 4 moreShow fewer
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Dash
- Dash MihokAmerican actorborn 1974
- Dash SnowAmerican photographer and artist (1981–2009)
- Dash Shawcartoonistborn 1983
Characters named Dash: Dash Rendar (Star Wars character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Dash, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Bash
“the forerunner” · “one who likes to party”
>99% boys
Damani
“of a bright tomorrow”
78% boys · 22% girls
Diesel
“having great strength”
>99% boys
Jase
“God is my salvation”
>99% boys
Danger
“one who takes great risks”
>99% boys
Drayce
“resembling a dragon”
>99% boys
Daelan
“from the roadside land”
>99% boys
Flash
“emanating bright light” · “a shining man; one who is fast”
>99% boys