Total births
33,593
Boys' name · since 1898
Dane
Since 1898, U.S. Social Security records show 33,593 babies named Dane, peaking in 1986. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #874
- among boys today
- 33,593
- born since 1898
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Dane is the #874 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 33,593 recorded since 1898.
Social Security Administration records show Dane recorded 33,593 times among boys since 1898, holding rank #874 nationally today, ahead of 94% of boys, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1898 to 2025.
- #874 among boys today
- 33,593 born since 1898
- 1980s peak decade
- 94% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Dane is currently the #874 boys' name in America, more common than 94% of boys - 33,593 born since 1898, peaking in the 1980s.
- #874
- among boys today
- 33,593
- born since 1898
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Dane vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#874
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 94% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Dane was born in this single decade.
1986
Single peak year
1,069 babies were named Dane in 1986 - its busiest year on record.
How Dane compares
33,593 Top 4% higher than 96% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Dane's all-time total is 92x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Dane | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 33,593 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,069 | 23 | 22,252 |
Dane's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Dane's full recorded timeline at 1968, 82% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 18% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1898, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1986 peak of 1,069 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Dane at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1986
Current rank
#874
Active since
1898
Dane popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1898–2025
- Peak year (1986)
- 1,069
- Annual births at peak, across 128 years of records
Dane popularity over time - girls
386 total births recorded since 1946 (Dane as girls' name)
Dane by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Dane's strongest decade.
6,792 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Dane births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1900s 6
1900s
6 births
- 1910s 73
1910s
73 births
- 1920s 199
1920s
199 births
- 1930s 187
1930s
187 births
- 1940s 812
1940s
812 births
- 1950s 2,473
1950s
2,473 births
- 1960s 2,643
1960s
2,643 births
- 1970s 2,106
1970s
2,106 births
- 1980s
1980s
6,792 births
- 1990s
1990s
5,447 births
- 2000s
2000s
6,784 births
- 2010s
2010s
4,396 births
- 2020s 1,670
2020s
1,670 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 6,792 births (20% of all-time use).
How Dane compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Dane's total volume
Dane vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Dane by state
Where Dane concentrates geographically, total births since 1898
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 4,016 | 12.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,802 | 5.4% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 1,753 | 5.2% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 1,689 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 1,591 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 1,332 | 4.0% |
| #7 | New York | | 1,316 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Florida | | 1,137 | 3.4% |
California share of Dane's total US births 12.0%
Even split
4,016 of 33,593 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 48 reporting states.
Dane appears in 48 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Dane? ▼
33,593 babies have been named Dane since 1898. It currently ranks #874 among boys. The peak year was 1986 with 1,069 births.
When was Dane most popular? ▼
Dane was most popular in the 1980s decade with 6,792 total births. The single peak year was 1986.
Where is Dane most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Dane are California (4,016 births), Texas (1,802 births), Ohio (1,753 births).
How long has the name Dane been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Dane since 1898 -- 128 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Dane? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Daniel, Danny, Dan, Dana, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Dane's data
- Dane's decade-level peak was the 1980s (6,792 total births); usage has since declined to 1,670 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Danes (4,016 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 Dane
Nearby Names Like Dane
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Dane
Daniel Boy
#16 1,982,812 births
Danny Boy
#636 286,648 births
Dan Boy
#1921 106,554 births
Dana Boy
#4201 53,287 births
Dante Boy
#322 51,587 births
Compare Dane side by side: Dane vs Daniel Dane vs Danny Dane vs Dan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Dane
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, 1898–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Dane: #874 Boys' Name - 33,593 Births, Peak 1986." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/dane. 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 Dane 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.