Given name
Dwayne
“a dark or swarthy man”
Dwayne is a variant of Duane. One interpretation is “a dark or swarthy man.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Dwayne is a variant of Duane. One interpretation is “a dark or swarthy man.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Dwayne is a form of Duane. Duane comes from Irish, and ultimately from Primitive Irish.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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
Dwayne through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 77,200
- 76,738 boys · 462 girls
- Most popular year
- 1961
- 3,505 babies
- 2025
- 109
- #1,565 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −35%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 109 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,565 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 34.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 3,486 in 1961. In 2025, Florida had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (12). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 55,729 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.
Dwayne’s family of names
Dwayne has a feminine form in Duana. Dwayne has a related form in Duane. Dwayne has a related form in Dwane.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Dwayne
- Dwayne JohnsonAmerican actor and professional wrestler (born 1972)
- Lil WayneAmerican rapper and singerborn 1982
- Dwayne De RosarioCanadian soccer playerborn 1978
- Dwayne BaconAmerican basketball player (born 1995)
- Dwayne HickmanAmerican actor (1934–2022)
- Dwayne MillerJamaican footballerborn 1987
- Dwayne HaskinsAmerican football player (1997–2022)
- Dwayne RolosonCanadian ice hockey playerborn 1969
- Dwayne EvansAmerican sprinterborn 1958
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Dwayne, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Glenn
“from the valley between the hills” · “from the secluded narrow valley”
>99% boys
Dwight
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Kenny
“born of fire” · “handsome, fair one”
98% boys · 2% girls
Jan
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96% boys · 4% girls
Jeffery
“a man of peace”
>99% boys
Neil
“the champion”
>99% boys
Kevin
“a beloved and handsome man”
>99% boys