Dante
Dante was the 308th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,104 babies. Its best year was 1997, when it ranked 200th; the most babies were born in 1998 (1,670). Over the last ten years it has moved up 14 places. More babies were named Dante in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning enduring · Italian, Latin
Say it DAHN-tay /ˈdɑnteɪ/
- Rank in 2025
- #308 boys, down 7 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,104boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19981,670 babies
- Total since 1880
- 52,053babies recorded
What does the name Dante mean?
Dante is a short form of the Italian name Durante, "enduring, lasting", from Latin durare, "to last". DMNES notes that Dante is a contraction of Durand, from Latin durans, and Harrison (1918) gives the same. Its fame comes from the poet Dante Alighieri (died 1321), author of the Divine Comedy. DMNES records the parent name Durand (Latin Durandus) in England in 1189 and in France from the 10th century.
Durante (Italian, “enduring”)durans (Latin, “lasting, enduring”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Durante, Durand.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Dante', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Durand', DMNES, Durham University
- Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. 2 (1918), s.v. 'DANTE', Morland Press (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
Dante popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 466 since 1968.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #308 | 1,104 |
| 2020 | #301 | 1,110 |
| 2010 | #255 | 1,342 |
| 2000 | #248 | 1,352 |
| 1990 | #365 | 639 |
| 1980 | #418 | 387 |
| 1970 | #545 | 222 |
| 1960 | #871 | 76 |
| 1950 | #1,145 | 39 |
| 1940 | #1,481 | 21 |
| 1930 | #918 | 53 |
| 1920 | #827 | 66 |
| 1910 | #880 | 13 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Dante, counting every spelling?
Dante has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #318 for boys in 2025, against #308 on the official list, because Colson/Kolson/Colsen and Bryan/Brian/Bryon and Kason/Kasen/Casen move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Dante?
1,104 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Dante (0.31 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Dante 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 8 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Dante.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Dante?
About 48,100 people born in the US named Dante are alive today, with a median age of 22; half are between 12 and 31. That makes Dante mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Dante by state
How common Dante was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Mexico (2.9×), Rhode Island (2.8×), Connecticut (2.0×), New Jersey (1.9×), Massachusetts (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Maine, South Dakota.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Dante: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Dante, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Dante · Sibling names for Dante
Questions about the name Dante
What does Dante mean?
Dante means “enduring” (Italian, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Dante?
Dante was the 308th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,104 babies. Its best year was 1997, when it ranked 200th; the most babies were born in 1998 (1,670). Over the last ten years it has moved up 14 places. More babies were named Dante in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Dante a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Dante in the US.
Where is Dante most popular?
In 2021–2025, Dante was most common in New Mexico (1.82 per 1,000 boys), followed by Rhode Island and Connecticut.