Meaning and background
The story behind Dalton
Dalton is a surname-derived name with an English place-name background, describing a settlement in a valley. It also has a scientific association through the surname of John Dalton, the chemist and physicist known for work on atomic theory. Those are distinct reasons a household might choose the same spelling. For a dog, Dalton has a full personal-name shape without a long spoken form. If the scientist is your inspiration, say so directly; the place-name meaning alone cannot tell someone whether you intended a landscape reference, a family connection or a scientific tribute.
- Origin
- From an English surname originating in a place name associated with a valley settlement. Source
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About Dalton
Recorded as a dog’s name
Dalton appears in 14 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/dɔltən/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/dɔltən/ · primary stress on syllable 1D AO1 L T AH0 N
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.