According to the U.S. baby name data, the name Dawn saw a significant increase in usage in the mid-1960s:
- 1966: 13,602 baby girls named Dawn [rank: 24th]
- 1965: 13,341 baby girls named Dawn [rank: 26th]
- 1964: 12,614 baby girls named Dawn [rank: 33rd]
- 1963: 8,416 baby girls named Dawn [rank: 52nd]
- 1962: 8,980 baby girls named Dawn [rank: 50th]
Why?
Because of the Four Seasons song “Dawn (Go Away),” in which the narrator speaks to a female named Dawn (who’s as “pretty as a midsummer’s morn”).
Here’s what it sounds like:
The song was released as a single in January of 1964. From late February to early March, for three weeks straight, it ranked #3 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart. (The two songs that prevented it from climbing any higher were both Beatles songs: “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “She Loves You.”)
What are your thoughts on the name Dawn? (Do you like it more or less than Sherry?)
Sources: Dawn (Go Away) – Wikipedia, Billboard Hot 100 for the week of 22 Feb. 1964, SSA
