Unisex nameCurrently #272 in the USSteady
Dakota
duh-KOH-tuh//dəˈkoʊtə//
3 syllablesPeak year: 19956 lettersStarts with D
Meaning & origin
Friend, ally
Dakota comes from the Sioux word for 'friend' or 'ally', the name of a Native American people and confederacy, and also of two US states. Its warm meaning and open sound have made it a popular unisex choice since the 1990s.
Dakota's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Dakota |
|---|---|
| 1915 | 8 |
| 1921 | 6 |
| 1958 | 11 |
| 1959 | 20 |
| 1960 | 13 |
| 1961 | 13 |
| 1962 | 9 |
| 1963 | 5 |
| 1964 | 6 |
| 1965 | 9 |
| 1966 | 13 |
| 1968 | 5 |
| 1970 | 9 |
| 1971 | 8 |
| 1972 | 19 |
| 1973 | 20 |
| 1974 | 16 |
| 1975 | 26 |
| 1976 | 27 |
| 1977 | 36 |
| 1978 | 70 |
| 1979 | 54 |
| 1980 | 65 |
| 1981 | 48 |
| 1982 | 57 |
| 1983 | 64 |
| 1984 | 79 |
| 1985 | 171 |
| 1986 | 393 |
| 1987 | 508 |
| 1988 | 653 |
| 1989 | 987 |
| 1990 | 1,930 |
| 1991 | 3,376 |
| 1992 | 4,366 |
| 1993 | 5,135 |
| 1994 | 6,431 |
| 1995 | 7,700 |
| 1996 | 7,122 |
| 1997 | 6,839 |
| 1998 | 6,643 |
| 1999 | 6,260 |
| 2000 | 5,639 |
| 2001 | 4,923 |
| 2002 | 4,439 |
| 2003 | 4,077 |
| 2004 | 4,098 |
| 2005 | 4,237 |
| 2006 | 4,206 |
| 2007 | 3,447 |
| 2008 | 2,932 |
| 2009 | 2,585 |
| 2010 | 2,284 |
| 2011 | 2,098 |
| 2012 | 2,000 |
| 2013 | 1,994 |
| 2014 | 2,042 |
| 2015 | 2,275 |
| 2016 | 2,291 |
| 2017 | 2,359 |
| 2018 | 2,263 |
| 2019 | 2,242 |
| 2020 | 2,092 |
| 2021 | 2,116 |
| 2022 | 2,150 |
| 2023 | 2,203 |
| 2024 | 2,208 |
Dakota through the decades
- Dakota peaked in 1995, when 7,700 babies were named Dakota in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Dakota has fallen 20% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Dakota currently ranks #272 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
Kota
Variants & spellings
Dakotah
Famous people named Dakota
- Dakota Fanning — actress