Baby Name Popularity Profile

Dana

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Dana.

✦ God is my judge, gift, or wise 🌍 Hebrew, Slavic, Persian traditional spiritual
National Rank (2025) #1027
All-Time Peak Rank #44 Achieved 1971
Total U.S. Births 193,555 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 8.6% Boy / 91.4% Girl Overwhelmingly Female
First Recorded 1882 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 1970s 6,934 births in 1971
💡 The Dana Vibe: Considered a Declining Classic. A previously dominant name currently experiencing a prolonged generational cooling period.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning God is my judge, gift, or wise
Language Origin Hebrew, Slavic, Persian
Origin Type multiple
Derived from multiple independent sources: a short form of Daniela (Hebrew), a short form of Slavic names meaning 'gift', and a Persian name meaning 'wise'.
Common Nicknames
Dani Dee
Alternative Spellings
Danna
Pronunciation: DAY-nuh
Themes & Categories
traditional spiritual
Etymology confidence: Medium · Under review

📖 The Story Behind Dana

According to SSA data, Dana achieved its highest historical rank of #44 in 1971. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 1971 with 6,934 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 25.2%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 136 consecutive years.

📊 Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Dana across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Stable
10-Year Shift -25.2% Decline
18801920196020002025

📈 Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 6,934 births in 1971
Years in Top 100 26 yrs
Years in Top 500 71 yrs
Registry Streak 136 yrs
Historical Volatility Highly Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 45
1890s: 100
1900s: 113
1910s: 367
1920s: 768
1930s: 1,232
1940s: 5,429
1950s: 17,106
1960s: 47,701
1970s: 51,358
1980s: 36,826
1990s: 19,284
2000s: 7,942
2010s: 3,828
2020s: 1,456

📐 Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Da-na
Letter Count 4 letters
Spelling Complexity Easy
Length Percentile Longer than 1.4% of names
Linguistic Profile: Longer than 1.4% of SSA names. Starts with D, a letter used by only 6.6% of SSA names.

🛠️ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Dana.

📍 Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State New Jersey
Top States New Jersey, District of Columbia, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Kansas
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
New Jersey #863 8,431 1983 Insufficient historical volume
District of Columbia Unranked 1,315 1963 Insufficient historical volume
Oklahoma Unranked 3,840 1964 Insufficient historical volume
Louisiana Unranked 5,006 1964 Insufficient historical volume
Kansas Unranked 2,795 1961 Insufficient historical volume
Missouri #660 5,765 1964 Insufficient historical volume
Delaware Unranked 525 1979 Insufficient historical volume
Kentucky Unranked 4,096 1971 Insufficient historical volume
Pennsylvania Unranked 11,940 1971 Insufficient historical volume
Arkansas Unranked 2,400 1964 Insufficient historical volume
Virginia #783 5,004 1971 Insufficient historical volume
Maryland Unranked 3,291 1972 Insufficient historical volume
Connecticut Unranked 2,271 1971 Insufficient historical volume
Alabama Unranked 3,798 1971 Insufficient historical volume
Colorado Unranked 2,475 1964 Insufficient historical volume
Oregon Unranked 1,859 1967 Insufficient historical volume
Illinois #864 9,716 1971 Insufficient historical volume
Indiana #1082 4,668 1964 Insufficient historical volume
Tennessee #1015 4,189 1970 Insufficient historical volume
Wyoming Unranked 265 1964 Insufficient historical volume
Georgia #1013 5,488 1970 Insufficient historical volume
California #758 19,455 1964 +13.9% Growth
Michigan #881 7,240 1971 Insufficient historical volume
Florida #803 6,513 1971 Insufficient historical volume
Wisconsin Unranked 3,780 1980 Insufficient historical volume
Hawaii Unranked 576 1971 Insufficient historical volume
Washington Unranked 2,988 1963 Insufficient historical volume
Alaska Unranked 257 1980 Insufficient historical volume
North Carolina #995 5,228 1971 Insufficient historical volume
New York #951 13,748 1971 Insufficient historical volume
Texas #958 13,475 1963 +11.1% Growth
South Carolina Unranked 2,528 1971 Insufficient historical volume
New Mexico Unranked 926 1961 Insufficient historical volume
Minnesota Unranked 3,083 1971 Insufficient historical volume
Iowa Unranked 2,215 1971 Insufficient historical volume
Mississippi Unranked 2,044 1971 Insufficient historical volume
Ohio #976 7,319 1971 Insufficient historical volume
Montana Unranked 475 1971 Insufficient historical volume
Nevada Unranked 517 1966 Insufficient historical volume
Nebraska Unranked 1,012 1970 Insufficient historical volume
Idaho Unranked 544 1964 Insufficient historical volume
Arizona Unranked 1,649 1970 Insufficient historical volume
Utah Unranked 1,001 1962 Insufficient historical volume
North Dakota Unranked 406 1979 Insufficient historical volume
South Dakota Unranked 394 1964 Insufficient historical volume
Rhode Island Unranked 417 1969 Insufficient historical volume
West Virginia Unranked 962 1964 Insufficient historical volume
Massachusetts #788 1,844 1963 Insufficient historical volume
Vermont Unranked 65 1971 Insufficient historical volume
New Hampshire Unranked 92 1988 Insufficient historical volume
Maine Unranked 123 1990 Insufficient historical volume

👨‍👩‍👧 Sibling Name Suggestions

👦 Brother Suggestions
Toby Rene Marlon Heath Eric Jody Toma Tito Aric Tory
👧 Sister Suggestions
Raquel Corinne Tara Joey Lani Liza Cori Kari Rana Jodi

🔗 Names You Might Also Like

Based on statistical similarity and shared characteristics with Dana:

Demographic & Volume Peers
Dena Deva Darla Dua Dania Dara Dina Deena Donya Deedra
More traditional Names
Browse all traditional names → Browse Hebrew names →

🗂️ Browse More Baby Names

Explore our name indexes and data tracks:

👧 Top Girl Names → 2-Syllable Names → 4-Letter Names → More Declining Classic Names → Hebrew Origin Names → traditional Names → Names Peaking in 1971 → 🗺️ Regional State Data →