Dang
Of Vietnamese origin signifying either a family rank or a bamboo basket.
Name Census estimates that about 307 living Americans carry the first name Dang. It is a predominantly male name (98.1% of registrations). The average person named Dang today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dang births was 1986 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dang. 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.
People living today
307
~ 1 in 1,116,464 Americans
Peak year
1986
24 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,818
Tracked since 1979
Gender
Gender distribution for Dang
Dang leans heavily male at 98.1% of total registrations, but 6 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Dang as a male name
- Ranked #11,195 in 2024
- 6 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1982 (21 births)
Dang as a female name
- Ranked #9,818 in 1986
- 6 female births in 1986
- Peak: 1986 (6 births)
Popularity
Dang: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dang from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 114 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dang 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 Dang during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dangs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Dang
The name Dang is believed to have originated from the Vietnamese language, with its roots traced back to the 15th century. It is thought to have derived from the Vietnamese word "dang," which means "shape" or "form." This name was initially popular among the ethnic Vietnamese population, particularly in the northern regions of Vietnam.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dang dates back to the 16th century, when a notable Vietnamese scholar and poet, Dang Tran Con, lived during the reign of the Later Le dynasty. He was known for his contributions to Vietnamese literature and his efforts in preserving traditional Vietnamese culture.
In the 17th century, Dang Huy Van was a prominent Vietnamese military leader who played a crucial role in defending Vietnam against the Qing Dynasty's invasions. His bravery and strategic military tactics earned him a place in Vietnamese history as a national hero.
During the 18th century, Dang Duc Tuan was a renowned Vietnamese architect and engineer. He is credited with designing and constructing several iconic structures, including the imperial citadel of Hue, which served as the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In the 19th century, Dang Nhu Ky was a prominent Vietnamese diplomat and scholar. He served as an ambassador to France and played a significant role in fostering diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Western nations.
Another notable figure with the name Dang is Dang Thai Mai, a Vietnamese novelist and poet who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His works, which often explored themes of love, nature, and patriotism, are considered classics in Vietnamese literature.
While the name Dang has its origins in Vietnam, it has also been adopted by individuals of various ethnicities and nationalities over time. However, it is important to note that the historical and cultural significance of the name remains deeply rooted in Vietnamese heritage.
People
Dang + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dang 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
Dang: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dang?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 307 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dang 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 1,116,464 US residents.
Is Dang a common name?
We classify Dang as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 316 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dang most popular?
The single biggest year for Dang was 1986, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dang is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dang a male name?
Yes, 98.1% of people registered as Dang in the SSA data are male. 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.