The baby name Dashiell blends literary roots with a dash of Disney.
Thanks to Lyndsay for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME DASHIELL MEAN?
Back in 1894, Richard and Anne Hammett welcomed son Samuel. Anne came from an old Maryland family. Her maiden name became Sam’s middle.
Sam grew up, launched a writing career, and dropped his traditional first name. We know him as detective novelist Dashiell Hammett.
But what does the name Dashiell mean?
The surname started out as de Chiel. A family of French Huguenots with the name moved to Scotland, then England, before finally settling in the New World.
The family also included a US Congressman, as well as other civic leaders. American Civil General George Dashiell Bayard may have been a cousin.
While de Chiel’s meaning proves elusive, a few theories include:
- It might come from a French place name, as the “de” typically signifies “from.” There is at least one tiny town called Chiel near Lyon.
- Other theories link it to the place name Assche – pronounce it like Ash and it seems more promising. While Asche and Asch are typically considered German, there is a Belgian title associated with an aristocratic French family. In this case, the name could mean “water” or possibly “spearman.”
- It’s tempting to see chiel and connect it to ciel – the French word for heaven or the sky. That’s probably folk etymology, though.
The strongest association is with the English word dash or dashing. It’s a synonym for handsome. Originally, it meant to strike or rush. One can “dash off” – leave quickly – or “dash hopes” – disappoint. In a recipe, “just a dash” is a quick shake of a spice. And we run dashes – short distances requiring a burst of speed.
HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE DASHIELL?
At first glance, it’s tempting to pronounce Dashiell like Gabriel, three syllables, saying the I sound.
But most typically pronounce this name DASH-uhl or DASH-el.
HAMMETT’S LEGACY
The pronunciation is all about the author, of course.
Hammett pioneered what became known as hardboiled detective fiction.
His characters – aloof, confident, tough – inspired more fictional heroes that you can count. Even if you’ve never read his novels, you know their names: Sam Spade, Nick and Nora Charles.
Hammett died in 1961. In 1977, the movie Julia starred Jason Robards as the writer. Robards won a best supporting actor Oscar for the role. A 1979 biogrpahy followed.
SLOW AND QUIET RISE
The late 1970s wave of interest in the author seems to have sparked some interest in the baby name Dashiell.
In 1979, the name debuted in US popularity data, with eight boys and five girls receiving the name.
Rock star Alice Cooper named his son Dashiell in 1985, one of only 19 boys that year. (Cooper’s daughters answer to Calico and Sonora – no surprise that he’s a daring namer!)
The numbers remained small – 20 or fewer most years into the 1990s.
The name remained in sparing use, with even more high profile parents choosing it for their children:
- Actor C. Thomas Howell gave the name to a son in 1997.
- In 2001, Cate Blanchett welcomed her first, a son named Dashiell John. Blanchett put the name in the spotlight.
- Alternate spellings Dashel and Dashiel are also seen. Very occasionally, the names are given to girls. Paul W.S. Anderson and Mila Jovovich welcomed daughter Dashel Edan in 2015.
As for other uses, Dashiell was the name of a Houston corporation focused on electrical infrastructure. Founded in 1960, it took its name from founded David Dashiell. While the company still exists, it’s now owned by a larger corporation.
THE INCREDIBLES
The name’s biggest boost came in 2004, when Disney-Pixar gave us The Incredibles.
It’s the story of a family of superheroes, trying to keep a low profile. Thanks to many a mishap, heroes are now required to keep their powers under wraps.
Until, that is, something goes very wrong. Mr. Incredible and his wife Elastigirl end up taking on another top secret mission, bringing their three kids along.
Middle child Dash has a logical superpower: he runs at superhuman speeds.
Dash Parr’s full name is Dashiell Robert Parr.
The family returned for a sequel in 2018.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME DASHIELL?
In 2004, 59 boys received the baby name Dashiell – a new high.
By 2015, those numbers peaked at 174 boys and five girls.
And yet it didn’t last. The baby name Dashiell was given to just 73 boys in 2024.
It’s familiar, but still very much under the radar.
CASH, NASH, AND DASH
If Dashiell never quite caught on, Dash has fared better.
The name Dash debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2014, and remains in the US rankings at #967 as of 2024.
It fits with Nash and Cash, plus Asher and Ashton.
But even Dash is fading now.
OVERLOOKED POSSIBILITY
HBO’s The Gilded Age gave us wealthy widower Dashiell Montgomery in the second season. It tracks with the character’s story and the idea that the Dashiell family was prominent in the 19th century.
But it wasn’t enough to boost the baby name Dashiell.
Instead, this name remains literary, rare, and very wearable. It’s a substitute for Sebastian or Julian, a polished name with the same traditional energy as Everett or even Theodore.
Sporty nickname Dash is a bonus.
What do you think of the baby name Dashiell?
This post was originally published on February 20, 2010. It was substantially revised and re-posted on October 3, 2016 and again on December 11, 2025.
I was named Dashiell in 1948 after the author, Hammett. The story of the name mention above is verified in the Library of Congress. However, the pronunciation it says is duh SHEEL as do the Hammett family. My parents use alliteration in my full name by having the “ll’s” in each names.
We are seriously considering Dashiell for our first born son. We prefer the three syllable pronunciation (Dah – Shee – Ell). We were also considering giving the little guy the middle name Miguel after his Grandfather.
just curious what people’s thoughts are on the first and middle name “rhyming?” Is this a naming no-no? We kind of liked the flow that it created.
Dashiell is great, and it is hard to go wrong with a name that honors a grandfather. But Dashiell Miguel … I don’t know. That’s awfully sing-songy. Are there other options, or is that really the only first/middle combo?
The only other option for Dashiell would be Dashiell Paz which is Grandpa’s last name. 🙂 We wanted our son to maintain some of his Hispanic roots through his name.
We are also considering Tiago (pronounced Chi – ah – go) as a first name with a more simple one syllable middle name like Shea or Sage.
Oh, I love Dashiell Paz. Love, love, love it. Love the combined sound, love that it honors grandpa.
How would feel about Tiago if his name were always pronounced with a T sound? I love Tiago, and both combinations are great – Tiago Sage, Tiago Shea – I’d probably say Sage, but either is fantastic. Except I can imagine he’d get tee AH go forever & ever. If that’s not a dealbreaker, then Tiago is a dramatic, but still classic, way to honor your roots.
Thank you so much for the feedback. Dashiell is hubby’s first choice and he loves the nickname Dash. Dashiell Paz does have a nice ring to it and we might give future children the same middle name to keep it consistent and represent both sides of the family…just an idea. We already have a girls name picked out (Aylanie) and think that goes well with Paz too.
Tiago with the “T” sounds is not a big deal at all. When I said “Chi” I kind of just meant the blending of the T into the I rather than two distinct sounds.
Again, thanks for your input!! Love this site!
A friend of mine used the same family middle for her son and daughter – I really like that connection.
Tiago and Dashiell are both great names. I do love the nn Dash, though … is there any possibility you would Dashiell Paz and then Tiago Paz? While I love the sound of Tiago Paz, I do not love the initials T.P.
I really like this name, but I struggle with the spelling. I prefer the sound of Dash-uhl, but don’t want to butcher the original spelling just to make it phonetic…that’s too close to cre8ive to me. However, I really like the sound. It might get stuck as a middle name because of this, but even then I don’t know if it would be Dashiell or Dashel.
I’m loathe to say “Eww, trendy surname!” as I love, love, love Dougray and would use it. It might not have the exposure Dashiell does but it’s quite similar. No snark here.
I’d say it Dash-ul too.
One of my Flickr contacts just had a son named Dashel, who is going by “Dash”. 🙂
I do like the name, though wouldn’t really use it myself.
Happy Birthday to Dashiell!
Dashiell is such a handsome and (dare I say it?) dashing name! I pronounce it DASH-ull. I’m very surprised that it’s not in the Top 1000. That’s definitely a plus! I knew it wasn’t popular, but I thought it was a pretty well-known name. I’m glad I was wrong!
I thought it was well known, too, it’s definitely not! At least not where I live in California/Pennsylvania.
Oh yeah, but several people have told me, “I know someone in New York who named their baby Dashiell”, so I think it’s fairly common there.
Thank you so much for writing about Dashiell on his birthday! I showed this to my family and they loved hearing about it, I think my grandma liked that you said it “should stand the test of time”.
Pronunciation is the only problem with the name, I use Dash-uhl… People have said it all the different ways you mentioned. I really hate all those other pronunciations. It didn’t occur to me before he was born to spell it differently, like Dashel, but that just doesn’t look right to me anyway.
I’m so happy you covered Dashiell! I must admit that his name was inspired by The Incredibles. I also love the name Violet, think anyone would notice if I used that sibset?
Violet and Dashiell go SO well together! I think your kids would eventually notice … but it probably wouldn’t be a problem. Of course, you’d have to resist the urge to dress them up in superhero capes for Halloween!
Haha, I wouldn’t have a problem not dressing them up, but my husband would be all over it! He’d probably make them be them every Halloween, as well as buy them ALL the Incredibles merchandise available. He’s a big Pixar fan…
And you’re welcome! I’m flattered that you shared the post.
Are you kidding? Of course I shared the post! You do the best name histories ever, you’ve done a few of my family members, and I’ve shown them to all of them. They think it’s so cool!
I think they would make a lovely sibset! I didn’t even catch the Incredibles reference until AM mentioned superhero capes, and even then it took me a second 🙂 I hope your lovely little boy had a wonderful birthday!
This is such a stunning name! I prefer it to similar sounding names like Samuel. Its such a change!
Hmmm, I’ve been saying da-SHEEL, but what do I know?
Happy 1st to Dashiell!
Cool back story! I would have pronounced it dash ee EL, similar to Gabrielle.