Dawson, a surname-turned-given-name, was originally used as a patronymic name meaning "son of David." It started gaining popularity in the U.S. in the mid-1990s and received a massive boost thanks to Dawson Leery, the character played by James Van Der Beek in "Dawson's Creek" (1998-2003). It was a top-200 boy's name by 1998 and recently re-entered the top-150 in 2023 for the first time since 1999. "Bachelor in Paradise" stars Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon welcomed a baby boy named Dawson Demitri in 2022.
