Dakota
From the Dakota people's name for themselves, meaning allies or friends in their Siouan language. Two American states took the word as well.
Dakota in 2025
Dakota was given to 2,109 babies in the United States in 2025 — 1,074 boys and 1,035 girls, making it the 318th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 1,572 babies born.
The history of Dakota
Dakota reached its highest point in 1995, when 7,700 babies were given the name, ranking 87th that year.
Across the 111 years of records since 1915, 134,576 babies have been named Dakota. Half of them were born before 2001, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Dakota by decade
| Decade | Babies named Dakota | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 8 | 5,538 |
| 1920s | 6 | 7,719 |
| 1950s | 31 | 4,134 |
| 1960s | 73 | 5,433 |
| 1970s | 285 | 2,509 |
| 1980s | 3,022 | 533 |
| 1990s | 55,800 | 87 |
| 2000s | 40,585 | 129 |
| 2010s | 21,858 | 305 |
| 2020s | 12,908 | 302 |
Where Dakota is heading
Dakota has fallen 7% over the past decade, from 2,277 babies in 2015 to 2,109 in 2025.
Names like Dakota
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Dakota.