Dana
Dana was the 1027th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 244 babies. Its best year was 1971, when it ranked 44th with 6,934 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 170 places. More babies were named Dana in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · English
Say it DAY-nuh /ˈdeɪnə/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,027 girls, up 33 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 244girls
- Girls and boys
- 91% girls, 9% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19716,934 babies
- Total since 1880
- 246,842babies recorded
What does the name Dana mean?
Dana as an American name is, Wiktionary says, of uncertain origin; as a surname it may come from Dawnay, or be an altered form of Dan or Daniel. It was first given in honor of the writer Richard Henry Dana Jr., author of Two Years Before the Mast. In Slavic, Czech and Hebrew usage Dana is a separate girls' name, as a pet form of names like Bogdana or as a feminine of Dan ('he judged').
How sure is this? Uncertain. Several unrelated origins; the American surname's source is unclear.
Related names: Dane, Danna, Dayna.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Dana', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Dana popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,027 | #4,157 | 244 | 25 |
| 2020 | #1,060 | #3,841 | 234 | 27 |
| 2010 | #463 | #2,692 | 654 | 45 |
| 2000 | #311 | #1,199 | 1,016 | 113 |
| 1990 | #114 | #533 | 2,936 | 346 |
| 1980 | #68 | #353 | 4,438 | 508 |
| 1970 | #54 | #226 | 6,406 | 1,038 |
| 1960 | #141 | #187 | 3,086 | 1,670 |
| 1950 | #248 | #184 | 928 | 1,198 |
| 1940 | #434 | #483 | 245 | 142 |
| 1930 | #818 | #538 | 75 | 123 |
| 1920 | #874 | #637 | 69 | 98 |
| 1910 | #946 | #683 | 21 | 19 |
| 1900 | #838 | #560 | 20 | 19 |
| 1890 | #1,119 | #824 | 7 | 7 |
| 1880 | — | #539 | — | 12 |
How popular is Dana, counting every spelling?
Dana has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #984 for girls in 2025, against #1,027 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Dana?
244 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Dana (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Dana born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 34 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Dana.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Dana?
About 175,000 people born in the US named Dana are alive today, with a median age of 51; half are between 40 and 60. That makes Dana mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Dana by state
How common Dana was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (1.8×), Maryland (1.6×), California (1.5×). In 26 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Dana: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Dana, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Dana · Sibling names for Dana
Questions about the name Dana
What does Dana mean?
The origin of Dana is uncertain: several unrelated origins; the American surname's source is unclear.
How popular is the name Dana?
Dana was the 1027th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 244 babies. Its best year was 1971, when it ranked 44th with 6,934 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 170 places. More babies were named Dana in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Dana a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 91% girls, 9% boys given the name Dana in the US.
Where is Dana most popular?
In 2021–2025, Dana was most common in New Jersey (0.28 per 1,000 girls), followed by Maryland and California.