Dana
Girl name · #1027 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Dana? In official American birth records, Dana has been tracked continuously since 1882, giving it 143 years of documented American history.
Dana is currently the #1027 girl name in the United States — 244 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #856, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 7,377 girls born in 2025 was named Dana.
The 143-year story
Dana first appears in the Social Security records in 1882, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1971, when 6,934 girls were named Dana — good for #44 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 Dana per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Dana against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Dana in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Dana is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Dana will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Dana is most common
Geography matters for names, and Dana is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Dana is most common in CA (0.3 per 1,000), FL (0.2 per 1,000), IL (0.2 per 1,000), NY (0.2 per 1,000), TX (0.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Dana is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Dana
Statistically, parents drawn to Dana tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jana, Dina, Deanna, Rana, and Gina.
JanaDinaDeannaRanaGinaDaraSoniaTara
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Dana | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 244 | #1027 |
| 2024 | 230 | #1077 |
| 2023 | 264 | #976 |
| 2022 | 253 | #1022 |
| 2021 | 231 | #1081 |
| 2020 | 234 | #1059 |
| 2019 | 278 | #951 |
| 2018 | 318 | #853 |
| 2017 | 280 | #942 |
| 2016 | 322 | #873 |
| 2015 | 326 | #856 |
| 2014 | 353 | #794 |
| 2013 | 373 | #732 |
| 2012 | 455 | #628 |
| 2011 | 469 | #617 |
| 2010 | 654 | #463 |
| 2009 | 574 | #528 |
| 2008 | 681 | #464 |
| 2007 | 728 | #441 |
| 2006 | 809 | #397 |
| 2005 | 791 | #397 |
| 2004 | 704 | #429 |
| 2003 | 800 | #379 |
| 2002 | 894 | #338 |
| 2001 | 945 | #329 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Dana?
In official American birth records, the name Dana first appeared in 1882 (over 143 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Dana a popular girl name?
Dana ranked #1027 among girls in 2025 with 244 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #856.
When was the name Dana most popular?
Dana peaked in 1971, when 6,934 American girls received the name (ranked #44 that year). Since 1971 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Dana?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 7,377 newborn American girls was named Dana. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.