Dan
Boy nameDan has been given to 107,130 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1958.
Meaning & origin /dæn/
From Hebrew דָּן (Dan).
Origin: Hebrew
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
107,130
Peak year
1958 (3,702 babies)
Rank in 2025
Below top 1000
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▼ -3%
Gender split
1% girls / 99% boys
Rank through the decades
Dan's rank among U.S. boy names at 25-year milestones.
| Year | Boys rank |
|---|---|
| 1900 | #121 |
| 1925 | #184 |
| 1950 | #129 |
| 1975 | #369 |
| 2000 | #933 |
— means outside the top 1000 that year.
Spellings & variants
Names one letter away from Dan — alternate spellings parents actually use.
Famous people named Dan
Dan Quayle
Vice president of the United States from 1989 to 1993
Lin Dan
Chinese badminton player
Taejo of Joseon
The first king of Joseon Dynasty in Korean history
Dan Simmons
American novelist (1948–2026)
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Dan.
FAQ
How popular is the name Dan?
Dan has been given to 107,130 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It ranked below the top 1000 in 2025.
When did the name Dan peak?
Dan peaked in 1958, when 3,702 babies were given the name.
Is Dan a girl or boy name?
Dan is primarily a boy name (99% of babies named Dan are boys).
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