Dean
Meaning of Dean
Dean is a lively little firecracker of a name, born in the cool hush of an Old English valley—“denu” if one’s feeling scholarly—then polished to shine in medieval monasteries as the title for a church “dean.” From there, it hopped the pond, slipped on a leather jacket, and roared to fame with Hollywood’s forever-young rebel James Dean, sending the name rocketing into America’s Top 100 in the swinging sixties before it took a leisurely chai break in the later decades. Fast-forward to today: like a cricket ball lofted for a six, Dean is climbing the charts again—breaking into the 130s in 2024—and parents love its one-syllable snap, its gentleman-scholar vibe, and the hint of cinematic stardust it carries. Short, strong, and easy on every tongue (just a clear, quick “deen”), Dean fits as comfortably in a Mumbai boardroom as it does on a New York playground, making it the perfect pick for families who like their names crisp, classic, and just a tad adventurous.
Pronunciation
British English
- Pronunced as deen (/diːn/)
American English
- Pronunced as deen (/din/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Dean
| Dean Martin was an American singer, actor, and comedian, nicknamed the King of Cool, who rose to fame with Jerry Lewis as Martin and Lewis in 1946 and became one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century. |
| Dean Smith was a legendary University of North Carolina basketball coach from 1961 to 1997 who won two national titles and reached 11 Final Fours, retiring with a then NCAA record 879 wins. |
| Dean Smith is an English football manager and former player who is head coach of MLS club Charlotte FC. |
| Dean Henderson is an English goalkeeper for Crystal Palace and the England national team. |
| Robert Dean Stockwell was an American actor with a career spanning seven decades, from MGM child star to acclaimed roles in Compulsion and Long Day's Journey into Night, earning Best Actor at Cannes and a Golden Globe nomination for Sons and Lovers. |
| Dean Laurence Kiely is a former goalkeeper born in England who won 11 caps for the Republic of Ireland and now serves as goalkeeping coach for Crystal Palace and the Republic of Ireland, having previously coached at West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City. |
| Dean Koontz is a prolific American suspense novelist whose genre-blending books exceed 105 titles, have sold over 450 million copies with many reaching No. 1 on the New York Times list, and who early in his career wrote under several pen names. |
| Dean George Cain is an American actor and football player best known for playing Superman on the 1990s series Lois and Clark, and he also hosted Ripleys Believe It or Not and appeared in Hit the Floor. |
| Dean Carroll Jones was an American actor and Grammy winning singer and songwriter, the leading man for Disney in the 1970s known for That Darn Cat and the Herbie films, a Golden Globe nominee for The Million Dollar Duck, and later a Disney Legend. |
| Dean Ivor Richards was an English defender who began at Bradford City, then played for Wolves, Southampton, and Tottenham Hotspur, and made four appearances for England Under 21s. |
| Dean Martin Gaffney is an English actor best known for playing Robbie Jackson in EastEnders and for finishing fifth on Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2006. |
| Dean Joseph Norris is an American actor best known as Hank Schrader on Breaking Bad, with notable roles in Under the Dome, Claws, and Law and Order Organized Crime, and over 150 credits including many law enforcement roles. |
| Dean Paul Martin Jr, son of entertainer Dean Martin, was an American pop singer and film and TV actor who served in the California Air National Guard and died in a training flight crash. |
| Dean Obeidallah is an American lawyer, comedian, and journalist who hosts The Dean Obeidallah Show on SiriusXM Progress and contributes to CNN, The Daily Beast, and MSNBC. |
| Dean O'Gorman - Dean O Gorman is a New Zealand actor, artist, and photographer best known for playing the dwarf Fili in The Hobbit trilogy, Bragi aka Anders Johnson in The Almighty Johnsons, and Kirk Douglas in Trumbo. |
