Diana
Girl name · #244 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Diana? In official American birth records, Diana has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Diana ranks #244 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 1,277 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #296, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,410 girls born in 2025 was named Diana.
Babies named Diana per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Diana first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 10 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1957, when 9,433 girls were named Diana — good for #43 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Diana against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Diana in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Diana is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Diana is most common
Geography matters for names, and Diana is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Diana is most common in CT (1.6 per 1,000), NV (1.5 per 1,000), UT (1.5 per 1,000), SC (1.4 per 1,000), VA (1.4 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Diana is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Diana
Statistically, parents drawn to Diana tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Lana, Regina, Laura, Maria, and Carmen.
LanaReginaLauraMariaCarmenCatherineSylviaKarla
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Diana | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,277 | #244 |
| 2024 | 1,301 | #242 |
| 2023 | 1,312 | #228 |
| 2022 | 1,316 | #229 |
| 2021 | 1,329 | #225 |
| 2020 | 1,236 | #245 |
| 2019 | 1,435 | #213 |
| 2018 | 1,608 | #185 |
| 2017 | 1,368 | #230 |
| 2016 | 1,183 | #269 |
| 2015 | 1,091 | #296 |
| 2014 | 1,092 | #298 |
| 2013 | 1,179 | #271 |
| 2012 | 1,288 | #251 |
| 2011 | 1,545 | #204 |
| 2010 | 1,622 | #190 |
| 2009 | 1,943 | #166 |
| 2008 | 2,444 | #138 |
| 2007 | 3,182 | #106 |
| 2006 | 2,841 | #120 |
| 2005 | 3,159 | #100 |
| 2004 | 3,554 | #90 |
| 2003 | 3,149 | #108 |
| 2002 | 2,907 | #117 |
| 2001 | 3,198 | #102 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Diana?
In official American birth records, the name Diana first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 10 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Diana a popular girl name?
Diana ranked #244 among girls in 2025 with 1,277 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #296.
When was the name Diana most popular?
Diana peaked in 1957, when 9,433 American girls received the name (ranked #43 that year). Since 1957 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Diana?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,410 newborn American girls was named Diana. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.