Dan
Boy name · #1959 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Dan? In official American birth records, Dan has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Dan ranks #1959 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 78 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1703, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 23,077 boys born in 2025 was named Dan.
The 145-year story
Dan first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 140 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1960, when 3,696 boys were named Dan — good for #111 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Dan per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Dan against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Dan in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Dan is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Dan will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Dan is most common
State-level data for Dan is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Nicknames & related forms of Dan
Dan belongs to the Daniel family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Daniel family went to about 8,608 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #16, versus #1959 for Dan alone.
Names like Dan
Statistically, parents drawn to Dan tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Don, Glen, Dave, Ken, and Daren.
DonGlenDaveKenDarenDinoDaleDarin
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Dan | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 78 | #1959 |
| 2024 | 82 | #1921 |
| 2023 | 100 | #1694 |
| 2022 | 88 | #1826 |
| 2021 | 78 | #1931 |
| 2020 | 86 | #1766 |
| 2019 | 103 | #1606 |
| 2018 | 97 | #1657 |
| 2017 | 96 | #1644 |
| 2016 | 100 | #1610 |
| 2015 | 91 | #1703 |
| 2014 | 102 | #1559 |
| 2013 | 88 | #1685 |
| 2012 | 107 | #1498 |
| 2011 | 108 | #1495 |
| 2010 | 116 | #1425 |
| 2009 | 117 | #1433 |
| 2008 | 136 | #1276 |
| 2007 | 150 | #1176 |
| 2006 | 136 | #1229 |
| 2005 | 157 | #1053 |
| 2004 | 139 | #1132 |
| 2003 | 146 | #1060 |
| 2002 | 153 | #1012 |
| 2001 | 143 | #1027 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Dan?
In official American birth records, the name Dan first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 140 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Dan a popular boy name?
Dan ranked #1959 among boys in 2025 with 78 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1703.
When was the name Dan most popular?
Dan peaked in 1960, when 3,696 American boys received the name (ranked #111 that year). Since 1960 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Dan?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 23,077 newborn American boys was named Dan. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.