How Many People Are Named Dakota?
An estimated 130,080 people in the United States have the first name Dakota. While not in the top 50, it remains a well-known name ranking #414 overall. It is used for both genders, with 69.5% male. The average bearer is 23 years old, and Dakota peaked in popularity in 1995 with 7,700 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Dakota as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Dakota paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
130,080
About 1 in 2,635 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Common
Predicted Gender
Male
69.5% confidence
Average Age
23
years old
Peak Year
1995
7,700 births
Total Registered
132,430
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Dakota
Dakota is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (69.5%) and females (30.5%). Out of 132,430 total births registered, 92,020 were male and 40,410 were female.
Dakota as a male name
Ranked #328 in 2024
1,053 male births in 2024
Peak: 1995 (6,575 births)
Dakota as a female name
Ranked #272 in 2024
1,155 female births in 2024
Peak: 2006 (1,839 births)
Dakota in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 102,684 people with the first name Dakota, which placed it at #543 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Dakota was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 102,684 people with this name in that snapshot, 70.7% were male and 29.3% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is male 69.5% of the time.
Census Count
102,684
people with this name
Census Rank
#543
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
34.00
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Dakota was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (78.40%). The next largest recorded groups were Two or More Races (7.10%) and Hispanic (5.81%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Dakota in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Dakota.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 78.40% | 80,496 |
| Two or More Races | 7.10% | 7,287 |
| Hispanic | 5.81% | 5,966 |
| Black | 5.74% | 5,895 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 2.52% | 2,586 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 449 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Dakota: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Dakota span from the 1910s to the 2020s, covering 10 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1990s, when 55,802 babies were registered. Dakota has declined significantly from its peak in the 1990s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Dakota by Decade
How has Dakota tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Dakota by State
Birth registrations for Dakota span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Texas, California, Ohio. The lowest are in Rhode Island, District of Columbia, Hawaii. On average, about 2,550 Dakotas were registered per state.
Dakota + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Dakota as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Dakota
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
Dakota: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dakota?
We estimate approximately 130,080 people named Dakota are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 2,635 Americans share this first name.
Is Dakota a common name?
Dakota is classified as "Common" and is more popular than 99.6% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 132,430 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Dakota most popular?
Dakota reached peak popularity in 1995, when 7,700 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Dakota is approximately 23 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Dakota in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 102,684 people with the first name Dakota. That placed it at #543 in the published Census first-name tables, or 34.00 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Dakota was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Dakota?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Dakota was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 70.7% male and 29.3% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Dakota?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Dakota was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (78.40%). The next largest recorded groups were Two or More Races (7.10%) and Hispanic (5.81%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Dakota a male name?
Dakota is predominantly male. 69.5% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Dakota have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Dakota peaked in 1995, and the average living bearer is about 23 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Dakota Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Dakota Smith, Dakota Johnson, Dakota Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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