Dan

Dan - A very unique male name

Dan appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #164. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Dan and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Dan? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Dan. The baby boy name Dan was given to 21 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2381 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 69,823 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Dan peaked in popularity 79 years ago in 1947 on position 109.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Dan, 1-5?

Dan is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Dan is currently topping the baby name charts in Ohio at position #1,313 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,338.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Dan is where you live.

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Dan origin and meaning

Hebrew

'God is my judge' — Dan is both a biblical name in its own right and the short form of Daniel, from Hebrew Daniyyel

Dan was a son of Jacob in the Bible and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. As a standalone name it peaked in 1960 and has been falling since, though its long life as Daniel's everyday short form keeps it familiar.

Attested etymology

Dan is a 3 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Dan, pop culture references for the name Dan and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Dan

We've found the following names that sound similar to Dan, sorted by popularity.

Danny / Dean / Don / Duane / Damian / Dwayne / Damon / Damien / Donnie / Dana /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Dan

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Dan a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Dan?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

DAN · /dæn/

Around the world

• Dan (Welsh) — Used as-is as a short form of Daniel

Spellings and nicknames

• Daniel — The full name Dan is most often short for; a separate, established name
• Danny — Diminutive form, also used independently

Nicknames: Danny

Famous bearers

• Dan Rather — American television journalist and longtime CBS News anchor (b. 1931) Contemporary
• Dan Aykroyd — Canadian-American actor and comedian, co-star of Ghostbusters (b. 1952) Contemporary
• Dan Brown — American author of The Da Vinci Code (b. 1964) Contemporary

Style

BiblicalClassicShort form

Why parents choose it

A plain, sturdy one-syllable name — parents choose Dan for its directness, whether as a full name or a Daniel alternative.

Worth knowing

• Most people will assume it is short for Daniel