Dustin
/ˈdʌs.tɪn/
Dustin is an English form of the Old Norse name Dursteinn, from Dórr (a form of Thor, the Norse god of thunder) and steinn (“stone”)—“Thor’s stone.” It entered English as both a surname and a given name.
The name gained enormous popularity in the United States through actor Dustin Hoffman (born 1937), whose mother chose the then-unusual name inspired by cowboy actor Dustin Farnum. Hoffman’s fame turned the name into a mainstream choice.
Dustin peaked at No. 41 in 1984 with 10,403 births. In 2024 it ranks No. 685 with 394 births, a long decline from its 1980s high.
What the name Dustin means
Dustin Hoffman’s career—The Graduate, Kramer vs. Kramer, Rain Man—drove parental choices for a generation. Dustin from Stranger Things has given the name renewed visibility for younger audiences.
Two syllables—DUS-tin—feel clean and unpretentious. The soft opening and the crisp close give it an everyday reliability that matches its mid-century Americana profile.
The generation named Dustin in the 1980s are now parents themselves, and some are passing the name to their children—the typical cycle of generational name revival.
Its Norse etymology—Thor’s stone—gives it more mythological depth than its casual American sound suggests, linking it to Scandinavian naming tradition.
US popularity over time
Numerology and symbolism
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Famous people named Dustin
Dustin - similar names
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