Dakota
The Dakota people’s name for themselves, “allies”; also the two American states.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Dakota first shows up in the national records in 1915. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1993 to 2001. Its biggest year was 1995, when 6,575 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 56 nationally. In 2025 it ranked No. 319 for boys. The name has also seen real use for girls: 41,458 of the 134,576 Americans given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Dakotah (5,465), Dacota (679) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Cheyenne
Explore Dakota interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10 | No. 3948 |
| 1970s | 180 | No. 1203 |
| 1980s | 2,457 | No. 296 |
| 1990s | 46,649 | No. 56 |
| 2000s | 28,181 | No. 88 |
| 2010s | 9,667 | No. 292 |
| 2020s | 5,974 | No. 319 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.