Dan
A male given name from Hebrew.
Every Dan since 1880 — 107,130 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Dan
Dan is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,962 in 2025 with 78 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 107,130 American babies have been named Dan. Its peak came in 1958, when 3,702 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1950s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Dan stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Dan year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | #9,603 | 78 | #1,962 |
| 2024 | — | — | 82 | #1,925 |
| 2023 | 5 | #15,747 | 100 | #1,698 |
| 2022 | 9 | #10,582 | 88 | #1,830 |
| 2021 | — | — | 78 | #1,934 |
| 2020 | 7 | #12,454 | 86 | #1,769 |
| 2019 | — | — | 103 | #1,608 |
| 2018 | — | — | 97 | #1,659 |
| 2017 | — | — | 96 | #1,650 |
| 2016 | — | — | 100 | #1,610 |
| 2015 | — | — | 91 | #1,706 |
| 2014 | — | — | 102 | #1,559 |
| 2013 | — | — | 88 | #1,687 |
| 2012 | — | — | 107 | #1,501 |
| 2011 | — | — | 108 | #1,498 |
| 2010 | — | — | 116 | #1,428 |
| 2009 | — | — | 117 | #1,434 |
| 2008 | — | — | 136 | #1,276 |
| 2007 | — | — | 150 | #1,179 |
| 2006 | — | — | 136 | #1,230 |
| 2005 | — | — | 157 | #1,055 |
| 2004 | 7 | #13,092 | 139 | #1,134 |
| 2003 | 5 | #16,357 | 146 | #1,061 |
| 2002 | — | — | 153 | #1,012 |
| 2001 | 7 | #12,367 | 143 | #1,030 |
| 2000 | — | — | 163 | #933 |
| 1995 | — | — | 171 | #820 |
| 1990 | — | — | 234 | #658 |
| 1985 | 7 | #8,549 | 264 | #537 |
| 1980 | 7 | #8,350 | 335 | #461 |
| 1975 | 5 | #9,377 | 448 | #369 |
| 1970 | 8 | #5,928 | 1,021 | #232 |
| 1965 | 6 | #5,941 | 1,992 | #155 |
| 1960 | — | — | 3,696 | #111 |
| 1955 | 10 | #3,832 | 2,304 | #136 |
| 1950 | 10 | #3,474 | 2,085 | #129 |
| 1945 | 6 | #4,126 | 1,726 | #127 |
| 1940 | 6 | #3,958 | 1,097 | #155 |
| 1935 | 9 | #2,972 | 1,015 | #151 |
| 1930 | 9 | #3,113 | 899 | #165 |
| 1925 | 10 | #3,159 | 772 | #184 |
| 1920 | 7 | #4,052 | 764 | #185 |
| 1915 | — | — | 578 | #192 |
| 1910 | — | — | 188 | #164 |
| 1905 | — | — | 152 | #140 |
| 1900 | — | — | 192 | #121 |
| 1895 | — | — | 96 | #164 |
| 1890 | — | — | 160 | #104 |
| 1885 | — | — | 129 | #108 |
| 1880 | — | — | 140 | #98 |
Famous people named Dan
- Dan Brown Writer · b. 1964
- Dan Shechtman Chemist · b. 1941
- Dan Aykroyd Actor · b. 1952
- Dan Simmons Writer · b. 1948
- Dan Inosanto Celebrity · b. 1936
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Dan mean?
A male given name from Hebrew.
How popular is the name Dan in 2025?
Dan ranked #1,962 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 78 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Dan?
107,130 babies have been named Dan in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Dan most popular?
Dan peaked in 1958, when 3,702 newborns received the name.
Is Dan a boy or girl name?
Dan is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Dan rising or falling?
Dan has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Dan?
Well-known people named Dan include Dan Brown (writer), Dan Shechtman (chemist), Dan Aykroyd (actor).