Dale

Dale is a surname that means "dweller in the valley, or dale." It began to be used as a given name in the 19th century, probably often in honor of the maiden name of the child's mother. Dale has mainly been a masculine name, but was fairly common as a girl's name from the 1930's through the 1960's, probably heavily influenced by the popularity of Dale Evans. Since the 1960's Dale has almost exclusively a masculine name, used often enough to not be considered "odd," but not overused, either. Famous Dales include Dale Carnegie, and two NASCAR giants, the late Dale Earnhardt, and his son Dale Earnhardt Jr.