Dewey

Anglicized variation of Welsh Dewi, nickname of Dafydd

"beloved"

Dewey Origin and Meaning

The name Dewey is a boy's name of Welsh origin meaning "beloved".

Not heard since the 1980s, Dewey shot into the Top 20 in 1898 thanks to the popularity of Spanish-American War naval hero Admiral George Dewey. Dewey has subtle links to his Welsh roots and relation to father name David . The name was borne by the fifth century St. Dewi, patron saint of Wales. Later references include the namesake of the library Dewey Decimal System, a Donald Duck nephew, the younger brother on Malcolm in the Middle and Lemony Snicket character Dewey Denouement. It has a strong but dewy feel and is appealing enough to be ripe for a modern revival.

Dewey Rank in US Top 1000

# 980 in the US

Popularity of the name Dewey

• 1614 Nameberry 2025

20 Names Similar to Dewey

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Dewey.

• Des
• Hughes
• Redford
• Chet
• Sully
• Georgie
• Bingham
• Vinnie
• Gibson
• Lonnie
• Moore
• Elton
• Jeb
• Clancy
• Nat
• Willis
• Sampson
• Abbott
• Wally
• Gatsby

Famous People Named Dewey

• Thomas Edmund Dewey (1902 1971), 47th governor of New York (1943,54)
• Dewey Nicks photographer and film director (born George Dewey Nicks III)
• Dewey Readmore Books a library cat from Spencer, Iowa who lived from 1987,2006

The name Dewey in Pop Culture

• Dewey Denouement sub,sub,librarian, noble volunteer, triplet, and one of the managers of Hotel Denouement in "The Penultimate Peril" by Lemony Snicket
• Dewey Finn main character in "School of Rock"
• Dewey younger brother of Malcolm, Reese, and Francis in "Malcolm in the Middle"
• Dewey Duck one of Donald Duck's nephews
• Dewey Decimal System library cataloging/classification system
• Dwight "Dewey" Riley character in the "Scream" franchise
• Dewey Dell Bundren female character in William Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying"