How Many People Are Named Dana?
An estimated 208,280 people in the United States have the first name Dana. While not in the top 50, it remains a well-known name ranking #258 overall. It is used for both genders, with 78.4% female. The average bearer is 51 years old, and Dana peaked in popularity in 1971 with 8,032 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Dana 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 Dana paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Dana has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1960s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
208,280
About 1 in 1,646 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Common
Predicted Gender
Female
78.4% confidence
Average Age
51
years old
Peak Year
1971
8,032 births
Total Registered
246,572
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Dana
Dana is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (21.6%) and females (78.4%). Out of 246,572 total births registered, 53,261 were male and 193,311 were female.
Dana as a male name
Ranked #4,206 in 2024
25 male births in 2024
Peak: 1962 (1,796 births)
Dana as a female name
Ranked #1,077 in 2024
230 female births in 2024
Peak: 1971 (6,934 births)
Dana in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 210,579 people with the first name Dana, which placed it at #264 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, Dana was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 210,579 people with this name in that snapshot, 18.1% were male and 81.9% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 78.4% of the time.
Census Count
210,579
people with this name
Census Rank
#264
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
69.72
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Dana was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (80.31%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (9.02%) and Hispanic (5.12%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Dana 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 Dana.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 80.31% | 169,129 |
| Black | 9.02% | 18,999 |
| Hispanic | 5.12% | 10,785 |
| Two or More Races | 3.09% | 6,497 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.71% | 3,611 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.74% | 1,564 |
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.
Dana: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Dana span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1960s, when 61,128 babies were registered. Dana has declined significantly from its peak in the 1960s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Dana by Decade
How has Dana 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.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 135 | 90 | 45 | |
| 1890s | 208 | 108 | 100 | |
| 1900s | 247 | 134 | 113 | |
| 1910s | 1,036 | 669 | 367 | |
| 1920s | 1,945 | 1,177 | 768 | |
| 1930s | 2,524 | 1,292 | 1,232 | |
| 1940s | 10,288 | 4,859 | 5,429 | |
| 1950s | 32,265 | 15,159 | 17,106 | |
| 1960s | 61,128 | 13,427 | 47,701 | |
| 1970s | 59,686 | 8,325 | 51,361 | |
| 1980s | 41,480 | 4,655 | 36,825 | |
| 1990s | 21,406 | 2,123 | 19,283 | |
| 2000s | 8,712 | 770 | 7,942 | |
| 2010s | 4,182 | 355 | 3,827 | |
| 2020s | 1,330 | 118 | 1,212 | |
Dana by State
Birth registrations for Dana span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, New York, Texas. The lowest are in Wyoming, Alaska, Vermont. On average, about 4,677 Danas were registered per state.
Dana + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Dana as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Dana
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
Dana: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dana?
We estimate approximately 208,280 people named Dana 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 1,646 Americans share this first name.
Is Dana a common name?
Dana is classified as "Common" and is more popular than 99.8% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 246,572 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Dana most popular?
Dana reached peak popularity in 1971, when 8,032 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Dana is approximately 51 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Dana in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 210,579 people with the first name Dana. That placed it at #264 in the published Census first-name tables, or 69.72 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 Dana 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 Dana?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Dana was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 18.1% male and 81.9% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Dana?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Dana was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (80.31%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (9.02%) and Hispanic (5.12%). 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 Dana a female name?
Dana is predominantly female. 78.4% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Dana 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. Dana peaked in 1971, and the average living bearer is about 51 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Dana Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Dana Smith, Dana Johnson, Dana 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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