Total births
534
Boys' name · since 1979
Dat
Dat has 534 recorded births since 1979 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1981 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 534
- total births
- 1979–2020
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 31%
- born in that decade
534 boys have been named Dat since 1979, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Dat has 534 recorded births among boys since 1979, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1979 to 2020.
- 534 total births
- 1979–2020 years on record
- 1990s peak decade
- 31% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
534 boys have been named Dat since 1979, peaking in the 1990s, last recorded in 2020.
- 534
- total births
- 1979–2020
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 31%
- born in that decade
1990s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Dat was born in this single decade.
1981
Single peak year
26 babies were named Dat in 1981 - its busiest year on record.
Dat's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Dat's SSA record in two at 1998 and the more recent half accounts for 45% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 55%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1979, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1981 peak of 26, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Dat at a glance
Last recorded 2020Peak year
1981
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1979
Dat popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1979–2020
- Peak year (1981)
- 26
- Annual births at peak, across 42 years of records
Dat by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Dat's strongest decade.
165 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Dat births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 1980s
1980s
160 births
- 1990s
1990s
165 births
- 2000s
2000s
150 births
- 2010s 49
2010s
49 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 165 births (31% of all-time use).
How Dat 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 Dat's total volume
Dat vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Dat by state
Where Dat concentrates geographically, total births since 1979
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 87 | 16.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 15 | 2.8% |
California share of Dat's total US births 16.3%
Even split
87 of 534 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Dat? ▼
Dat has been given to 534 babies in the U.S. since 1979, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2020. 26 babies were born in 1981, its single highest year.
When was Dat most popular? ▼
Dat was most popular in the 1990s decade with 165 total births. The single peak year was 1981.
Where is Dat most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Dat are California (87 births), Texas (15 births).
How long has the name Dat been used? ▼
Records for Dat go back to 1979, giving 42 years of history through 2020.
What names are similar to Dat? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Dathan, Datron, Daton, Datrell, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Dat's data
- Dat's decade-level peak was the 1990s (165 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Dats (87 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 Dat
Nearby Names Like Dat
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Dat
Dathan Boy
#8437 1,571 births
Datron Boy
144 births
Daton Boy
94 births
Datrell Boy
69 births
Datwan Boy
59 births
Compare Dat side by side: Dat vs Dathan Dat vs Datron Dat vs Daton
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1979–2020 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Dat: Baby Name Since 1979 - 534 Births, Peak 1981." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/dat. 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 Dat 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.