Given name
Dwain
“a dark or swarthy man”
Dwain is a variant of Duane. One interpretation is “a dark or swarthy man.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Dwain 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 1913. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Dwain through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 7,581
- 7,581 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1959
- 258 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −42%
- Cooling
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 6 in 2024. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 258 in 1959. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 4,473 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.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
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 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Dwain
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Dwain, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Dan
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97% boys · 3% girls
Dave
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Derwin
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Darvin
“a beloved friend”
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Darin
“a great man” · “a gift from God”
99% boys · 1% girls
Darrel
“one who is dearly loved”
>99% boys
Darrin
“a great man” · “a gift from God”
>99% boys
Ron
“song of Joy”
>99% boys