Dale is an English surname and word name that means "valley", from the Old English dael, originally given to someone who lived in one. It was a mid-century favorite in America, familiar from the race car driver Dale Earnhardt and the cartoon chipmunk of Chip 'n' Dale. In the United States Dale ranked number 536 in 2000, peaked at number 410 in 2001 and has slipped out of the top 1000 since, standing at number 1410 in 2025.