Total births
193,555
Unisex name · since 1882
Dana
193,555 babies named Dana in U.S. Social Security records since 1882, with the highest year being 1971. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1077
- among girls today
- 193,555
- born since 1882
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
193,555 babies have been named Dana since 1882, making it today's #1077 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Dana recorded 193,555 times among girls since 1882, holding rank #1077 nationally today, ahead of 94% of girls, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.
- #1077 among girls today
- 193,555 born since 1882
- 1970s peak decade
- 94% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Dana is currently the #1077 unisex name in America, more common than 94% of girls - 193,555 born since 1882, peaking in the 1970s.
- #1077
- among girls today
- 193,555
- born since 1882
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
Dana vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1077
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 94% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Dana was born in this single decade.
1971
Single peak year
6,934 babies were named Dana in 1971 - its busiest year on record.
How Dana compares
193,555 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Dana's all-time total is 507x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Dana | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 193,555 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 6,934 | 48 | 19,840 |
Dana's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Dana's SSA record in two at 1955 and the more recent half accounts for 93% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 7%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1882, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 1971 peak of 6,934, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Dana at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1971
Current rank
#1,077
Active since
1882
Dana popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (1971)
- 6,934
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Dana popularity over time - boys
53,287 total births recorded since 1880 (Dana as boys' name)
Dana by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Dana's strongest decade.
51,358 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Dana births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 45
1880s
45 births
- 1890s 100
1890s
100 births
- 1900s 113
1900s
113 births
- 1910s 367
1910s
367 births
- 1920s 768
1920s
768 births
- 1930s 1,232
1930s
1,232 births
- 1940s 5,429
1940s
5,429 births
- 1950s 17,106
1950s
17,106 births
- 1960s
1960s
47,701 births
- 1970s
1970s
51,358 births
- 1980s
1980s
36,826 births
- 1990s 19,284
1990s
19,284 births
- 2000s 7,942
2000s
7,942 births
- 2010s 3,828
2010s
3,828 births
- 2020s 1,456
2020s
1,456 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 51,358 births (27% of all-time use).
How Dana compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Dana's total volume
Dana vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Dana by state
Where Dana concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 19,455 | 10.1% |
| #2 | New York | | 13,748 | 7.1% |
| #3 | Texas | | 13,475 | 7.0% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 11,940 | 6.2% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 9,716 | 5.0% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 8,431 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 7,319 | 3.8% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 7,240 | 3.7% |
California share of Dana's total US births 10.1%
Even split
19,455 of 193,555 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Dana appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Dana? ▼
193,555 babies have been named Dana since 1882. It currently ranks #1077 among girls. The peak year was 1971 with 6,934 births.
When was Dana most popular? ▼
Dana was most popular in the 1970s decade with 51,358 total births. The single peak year was 1971.
Where is Dana most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Dana are California (19,455 births), New York (13,748 births), Texas (13,475 births).
Is Dana a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Dana is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 193,555 births, and as a boy's name it has 53,287 births.
How long has the name Dana been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Dana since 1882 -- 144 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Dana? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Danielle, Daniela, Daniella, Danna, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Dana's data
- Dana's decade-level peak was the 1970s (51,358 total births); usage has since declined to 1,456 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Danas (19,455 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Dana
Nearby Names Like Dana
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Dana
Danielle Girl
#524 371,803 births
Daniela Girl
#280 68,514 births
Daniella Girl
#510 33,889 births
Danna Girl
#306 25,106 births
Danica Girl
#1554 16,522 births
Compare Dana side by side: Dana vs Danielle Dana vs Daniela Dana vs Daniella
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Dana
Yuna #1076
3,063 births · Peak 2025
Isis #1078
11,881 births · Peak 2005
Khadija #1075
5,271 births · Peak 2025
Tatiana #1079
35,234 births · Peak 1999
Braelyn #1074
10,972 births · Peak 2011
Paola #1080
24,496 births · Peak 2006
Kamari #1073
5,845 births · Peak 2023
Araya #1081
4,188 births · Peak 2022
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Dana: #1077 Unisex Name - 193,555 Births, Peak 1971." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/dana. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Dana draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.