Unisex name · Old English
Dallas
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: from a surname meaning valley house or meadow dwellingDallas is a gender-neutral name that comes from an Old English surname meaning "valley house or meadow dwelling". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- From a surname meaning valley house or meadow dwelling
- Origin
- Old English
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #687 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Dallas
As a gender-neutral name, Dallas comes from an Old English surname meaning "valley house or meadow dwelling". It is used in English.
Dallas is also a surname: the 3,977th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 8,653 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Dallas on our nature names list.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Dallas on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Dallas on 1 list.
“A Texas city with big-sky swagger”
From Redneck names for boys, cowboy names for boys
How popular is Dallas?
In 2025, 413 girls and 1,475 boys in the US were named Dallas.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #687
- 413 babies, 257 per million girls
- Best rank
- #529 in 1994
- Most babies: 551 in 2015
- Babies since 1892
- At least 15,882
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 13 per million |
| 1900s | 27 per million |
| 1910s | 32 per million |
| 1920s | 31 per million |
| 1930s | 29 per million |
| 1940s | 21 per million |
| 1950s | 19 per million |
| 1960s | 16 per million |
| 1970s | 37 per million |
| 1980s | 59 per million |
| 1990s | 179 per million |
| 2000s | 110 per million |
| 2010s | 244 per million |
| 2020s | 280 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #621 | #580 | #630 | #598 | #632 | #636 | #642 | #617 | #657 | #687 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #238
- 1,475 babies, 864 per million boys
- Best rank
- #214 in 1995
- Most babies: 1,475 in 2025
- Babies since 1880
- At least 71,203
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 214 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 260 per million |
| 1900s | 304 per million |
| 1910s | 295 per million |
| 1920s | 342 per million |
| 1930s | 401 per million |
| 1940s | 293 per million |
| 1950s | 201 per million |
| 1960s | 168 per million |
| 1970s | 222 per million |
| 1980s | 306 per million |
| 1990s | 536 per million |
| 2000s | 433 per million |
| 2010s | 638 per million |
| 2020s | 794 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #296 | #260 | #286 | #283 | #269 | #270 | #253 | #252 | #243 | #238 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Dallas
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- DalalCoquettishness (Arabic, girl)
- DaliaBranch (Hebrew, girl)
- DalvaMorning star (Portuguese, girl)
- DamlaDrop of water (Turkish, girl)
- DellaNoble (Germanic, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
- AaronProbably Egyptian, meaning unknown; Hebrew theories say exalted (Hebrew, boy)
- AlanMeaning uncertain; perhaps little rock, or from the Alans (Brythonic, boy)
- AthenaMeaning unknown; the Greek goddess of wisdom (Greek, girl)
- DeclanMeaning unknown, though likely begins with Old Irish dag, good (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- EvelynFrom a surname derived from the given name Aveline (English, girl)
- GlenValley (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- GlennValley (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
- JacksonFrom a surname meaning son of Jack (English, boy)
- KennedyFrom an Irish surname, from Cennétig, armoured or misshapen head (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- MariaGreek and Latin form of Miriam, of uncertain meaning (Hebrew, girl)
- NayeliPossibly from Zapotec words meaning I love you or open (Zapotec, girl)
- NolanFrom an Irish surname derived from nuall, famous, loud (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- VegaMeadow in Spanish; in English, the bright star (Spanish and Arabic, girl)
Middle names for Dallas
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
- AoifeBeauty, radiance (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- BessMy God is an oath (Hebrew, girl)
- BriarThorny shrub (Old English, unisex)
- HollyHolly tree (Old English, girl)
- LilyLily flower (English, girl)
- MicahWho is like Yahweh? (Hebrew, boy)
- RayCounsel protector (Germanic, boy)
- WayneWagon maker or driver (Old English, boy)
More names from Old English
- EdgarWealthy spear (Old English, boy)
- EdithRich in war (Old English, girl)
- AlfredElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- EduardRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- StormTempest (Old English, unisex)
- AlfredoElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- AudreyNoble strength (Old English, girl)
- EduardoRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- HarperHarp player (Old English, unisex)
- KnoxRound hill (Old English, boy)
- LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)
- LindsayLincoln island (Old English, unisex)
- OsmundGod protector (Old English, boy)
- OswaldPower of a god (Old English, boy)
- ReidRed-haired (Old English, boy)
- RutherfordCattle ford (Old English, boy)
- StewartSteward (Old English, boy)
- SundayDay of the sun (Old English, unisex)
Dallas: common questions
What does the name Dallas mean?
Dallas comes from an Old English surname meaning "valley house or meadow dwelling". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Dallas a boy or girl name?
Dallas is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 413 girls and 1,475 boys in the US were named Dallas, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Dallas come from?
Dallas comes from an Old English surname meaning "valley house or meadow dwelling". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Dallas?
Dallas ranked #687 in the US in 2025, with 413 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Dallas?
Names spelled like Dallas include Dalal, Dalia, Dalva, Damla and Della.
What middle names go with Dallas?
Middle names that flow well with Dallas include Aoife, Bess, Briar, Holly and Lily. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.