Given name
Dewayne
“a dark or swarthy man”
Dewayne is a variant of Duane. One interpretation is “a dark or swarthy man.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Dewayne is a variant of Duane. One interpretation is “a dark or swarthy man.”
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1912. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Dewayne through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 26,598
- 26,491 boys · 107 girls
- Most popular year
- 1963
- 655 babies
- 2025
- 55
- #2,457 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −32%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 55 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,457 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 32.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 651 in 1962. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 17,092 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Dewayne’s family of names
Dewayne has a related form in Duane.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Dewayne
- Dewayne DedmonAmerican basketball player (born 1989)
- DeWayne McKnightAmerican guitaristborn 1954
- D.J. Stewart Jr.American basketball player (born 1999)
- Dewayne JeffersonAmerican basketball player (born 1979)
- DeWayne WiseAmerican baseball playerborn 1978
- Tiny LundAmerican racing driver (1929-1975)
- DeWayne BarrettJamaican athletics competitorborn 1981
- DeWayne ScalesAmerican basketball player (born 1958)
- Dewayne WashingtonAmerican football playerborn 1972
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Dewayne, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Darvin
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>99% boys
Dave
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>99% boys
Darryl
“one who is greatly loved” · “one who is dearly loved”
>99% boys
Daren
“one who is born at night”
>99% boys
Derwin
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Darrin
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Dino
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Dale
“from the small valley” · “from the valley”
97% boys · 3% girls