The first name Dewight is of American origin, derived from the English surname Dwight, which was derived from the Middle English word 'dwyght', meaning 'swift'. The name gained popularity in the United States during the mid-20th century and has since become a distinctive choice for parents looking for an uncommon yet meaningful name for their child. It is often associated with the American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem 'Ode to a Minstrel,' which features the character 'Dewight.' The name Dewight can be spelled in various ways, including DeWight and Dwight, but its unique spelling adds to its charm and distinctiveness.
The name Dewight experienced significant popularity fluctuations over the years. It saw its peak in the late 1950s to early 1970s with 18 births recorded in 1972. However, it began declining from the mid-1970s onwards and has remained quite rare since the early 1990s with only a handful of births per year in recent years. Overall, there were a total of 528 babies named Dewight between 1930 and 2016.