Dana is a distinctive choice, ranked #934 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Dana in their class.
💎
UK Rank 2024
#934
US Rank #970
About the Name Dana
Dana is climbing rapidly up the charts, having climbed 230 places in just five years. Its best recorded rank was #210 in 1997 — and current momentum suggests it could challenge that mark again. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Dana is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it sits at #970 — notably more popular in the UK than across the Atlantic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Dana
Unlikely. With around 38 UK babies named Dana per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Dana in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Dana is currently rising in popularity in the UK, up 230 places over the last five years to #934 in 2024. If this trend continues, it will become more common in classrooms over the next decade.
Dana is more popular in the UK (#934) than in the US (#970). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Dana include: Dana Ewell — Dana James Ewell is a convicted American murderer who was sentenced to three life sentences for ordering the killing of his father, mother, and sister in 1992.; Dana Sue Gray — Dana Sue Gray is an American serial killer who murdered three elderly women in 1994.; Dana Stephensen — Dana Stephensen is an Australian ballet dancer..
Dana does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Danas in the wild.
38
UK babies named Dana (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↑ 230 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Dana
Likely around 1 other Dana in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2023–2023)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Dana
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Dana James Ewell is a convicted American murderer who was sentenced to three life sentences for ordering the killing of his father, mother, and sister in 1992.
Dana Sue Gray is an American serial killer who murdered three elderly women in 1994. She was caught after a fourth intended victim survived and identified her.
The Dana family is a Boston Brahmin family that arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts from England during the later end of the Puritan migration to New England.
Dana Hill was an American actress. She was known for playing Audrey Griswold in National Lampoon's European Vacation, and also known for her roles in Shoot the Moon and Cross Creek.
The Dana/Spicer Model 44 is an automotive axle manufactured by Dana Holding Corporation and is used extensively among automobile manufacturers and in the automotive aftermarket area as well. The Dana 44 was first manufactured in the 1940s and is still being manufactured today, both front and rear axle variants.