Dink
A nickname of unknown origin, possibly derived from "dinky" meaning small.
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Dink. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dink today is around 87 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dink births was 1917 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dink. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Dink is about 87 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Dinks were born before 1949.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dink. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1917
12 babies that year
Average age
87
years old
1955 SSA rank
#4,005
Tracked since 1883
Popularity
Dink: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dink from the 1880s through to the 1950s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 40 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dink by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Dink during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dink
The name Dink has its origins in the Dutch language, stemming from the word "dink," which means "to think." It is believed to have been a nickname given to those who were considered deep thinkers or philosophers. The earliest known use of the name dates back to the 16th century in the Netherlands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dink can be found in the 1589 Dutch novel "De Wonderlijke Avonturen van Dink de Denker" (The Wondrous Adventures of Dink the Thinker), which tells the story of a young man named Dink who embarks on a philosophical journey. This work is considered a seminal text in Dutch literature and has been widely studied by scholars of the period.
In the 17th century, a Dutch philosopher named Dink van der Meer (1602-1678) gained prominence for his writings on the nature of consciousness and the human mind. His treatise, "De Natura Mentis" (On the Nature of Mind), is still referenced in philosophical circles to this day.
Moving into the 18th century, the name Dink appeared in the annals of Scottish history with the birth of Dink McLeod (1721-1794), a Highland warrior who fought alongside the Jacobite forces during the Rising of 1745. He was renowned for his bravery and strategic thinking on the battlefield.
In the world of art, the name Dink is associated with the French Impressionist painter Dink Monet (1840-1926), a contemporary and close friend of the renowned Claude Monet. While not as famous as his counterpart, Dink Monet's landscape paintings are highly regarded and can be found in several prestigious art museums across Europe.
The 20th century saw the rise of Dink Stover (1901-1987), an American baseball player who spent his entire career with the New York Yankees. Stover was a key member of the Yankees' lineup during the 1920s and was known for his sharp analytical skills on the field, earning him the nickname "The Thinker."
These are just a few notable examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Dink, showcasing its diverse cultural and historical significance across various fields and eras.
People
Dink + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dink as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Dink: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dink?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dink going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Dink a common name?
We classify Dink as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 107 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dink most popular?
The single biggest year for Dink was 1917, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dink is about 87 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Dink in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dink a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dink in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Dink still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dink in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Dink can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Dink?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.