Dane

Dane - A very unique male name

Dane appeared on the charts for the first time in 1920 on position #1490. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Dane and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Dane? 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 Dane. The baby boy name Dane was given to 256 baby boys in 2025, ranking #819 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 5,728 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Dane peaked in popularity 40 years ago in 1986 on position 221.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Dane, 1-5?

Dane is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Dane is currently topping the baby name charts in Hawaii at position #228 - and is the least popular in Georgia at position #1,394.

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 Dane is where you live.

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Dane origin and meaning

English and Scandinavian (transferred surname)

Uncertain — Dane as a name comes both from the English surname Dane, a variant of Dean, 'valley dweller,' and from the word Dane, a person from Denmark; which source a family means is usually unclear

Dane has been in US data since 1920 as a lean surname-style name, peaking in 1986 and rising again gently now. Its Scandinavian echo — a Dane is a Norseman — gives it a Viking flavour the valley-surname history does not.

Origin uncertain

Dane is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

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

Similar to Dane

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

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

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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 Dane

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 Dane 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 Dane?

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

DAYN · /deɪn/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Dean — The related name from the valley word, a separate established name

Famous bearers

• Dane Cook — American stand-up comedian and actor (b. 1972) Contemporary
• Dane DeHaan — American actor known for Chronicle and Valerian (b. 1986) Contemporary

Style

Surname

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Dane for one syllable of cool — part surname, part Viking, entirely unadorned.

Worth knowing

• It is also an everyday word for a Danish person and for the Great Dane dog