The name Dana is derived from the Danish and Norwegian word "dann" which means "from the Danes". It originated as a male name in Scandinavia during the Middle Ages, around the 12th century.

Dana has origins as a feminine name as well, stemming from the Hebrew name "Dina" which means "judged" or "vindicated". This version of the name can be traced back to the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible, where Dina was the daughter of Jacob and Leah.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Dana was in 1586, when Sir Philip Sidney wrote the poetry collection "Arcadia" which featured a character named Dana. In the 17th century, the name was popularized in England by the Puritan movement, who favored biblical names.

Notable historical figures named Dana include Dana Scully, the fictional FBI agent in the TV series "The X-Files" played by Gillian Anderson. In literature, there was Dana Randolph, a character in the novel "The Ambassadors" by Henry James, published in 1903.

Dana Carvey, the American actor and comedian known for his work on "Saturday Night Live", was born in 1955. Another famous Dana is Dana Andrews, the American actor who starred in films such as "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) and "The Ox-Bow Incident" (1943). He was born in 1909 and died in 1992.

In ancient history, there was Dana, a king of the Parthian Empire who ruled from 77 to 88 AD. Additionally, Dana was the name of a Hindu goddess of fertility and abundance, associated with the moon and water.