Danalynn
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly combining elements meaning "dark" and "gracious".
Name Census estimates that about 30 living Americans carry the first name Danalynn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Danalynn today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Danalynn births was 1963 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Danalynn. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Danalynn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
30
~ 1 in 11,425,145 Americans
Peak year
1963
6 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
2014 SSA rank
#15,025
Tracked since 1963
Popularity
Danalynn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Danalynn from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 11 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1960s peak, Danalynn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Danalynn by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Danalynn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Danalynn
Danalynn is a modern combination name derived from the names Dana and Lynn. The name Dana has roots tracing back to the Celtic languages and cultures of ancient Britain and Ireland. It is believed to be derived from the Old Irish word "dan" meaning "bold" or "defiant." The name Lynn, on the other hand, has origins in the Old English word "linn" meaning "lake" or "pool."
In terms of historical references, the name Dana appears in several ancient Irish texts and legends. One notable example is the mythological figure Dana, who was revered as the mother goddess of the ancient Irish Tuatha Dé Danann people. This goddess was associated with fertility, wisdom, and prosperity.
The earliest recorded use of the name Dana as a given name dates back to the late 19th century. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Dana Estes (1856-1909), an American publisher and co-founder of the publishing firm Estes and Lauriat.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the name Dana. These include Dana Andrews (1909-1992), an American actor known for his roles in films like "The Best Years of Our Lives" and "Laura." Another is Dana Carvey (born 1955), an American comedian and actor best known for his work on the sketch comedy show "Saturday Night Live."
The name Lynn, on the other hand, has been used as a given name since the Middle Ages, particularly in England and Scotland. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Lynn of Luffness (c. 1275-c. 1350), a Scottish landowner and knight.
Other notable individuals with the name Lynn include Lynn Redgrave (1943-2010), an English actress known for her performances in films like "Georgy Girl" and "Gods and Monsters." There is also Lynn Margulis (1938-2011), an American evolutionary biologist and author who made significant contributions to the endosymbiotic theory.
While the combination name Danalynn is a modern creation, it draws from the rich historical and cultural roots of its component names, Dana and Lynn. The name blends the bold and defiant spirit of the Celtic Dana with the serene and natural imagery of the English Lynn, creating a unique and meaningful moniker.
People
Danalynn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Danalynn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Danalynn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Danalynn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 30 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Danalynn going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 11,425,145 US residents.
Is Danalynn a common name?
We classify Danalynn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 46.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 33 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Danalynn most popular?
The single biggest year for Danalynn was 1963, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Danalynn is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Danalynn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Danalynn in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.