Dinah
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "judged" or "God has judged".
Name Census estimates that about 7,333 living Americans carry the first name Dinah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Dinah today is around 54 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dinah births was 1955 (346 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dinah. 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
7.3K
~ 1 in 46,741 Americans
Peak year
1955
346 babies that year
Average age
54
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,895
Tracked since 1880
Popularity
Dinah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dinah from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 2,903 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dinah 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 Dinah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dinahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 34 states and territories. Texas, California, New York recorded the most babies named Dinah, while Oregon, Minnesota, Colorado recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 181 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dinah
The name Dinah has its roots in Hebrew, derived from the biblical name Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah in the Book of Genesis. The name is believed to originate from the Hebrew word "din," meaning "judgment" or "vindication." Its earliest recorded use can be traced back to the Old Testament, where Dinah's story is recounted.
One of the most notable historical references to the name Dinah comes from the Bible itself. In Genesis 34, the narrative tells of Dinah being defiled by Shechem, the son of a Hivite prince, leading to a violent conflict between Jacob's sons and the Hivites. This biblical account has shaped the cultural significance and symbolism associated with the name Dinah throughout history.
Among the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Dinah was Dinah Morris (1888-1936), an English novelist and writer best known for her work "The Sundial." Her literary contributions helped popularize the name in the early 20th century.
In the realm of music, Dinah Washington (1924-1963) was an influential American singer and pianist who rose to fame in the 1940s and 1950s. Known as the "Queen of the Blues," she was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and left an indelible mark on the jazz and blues genres.
Another notable figure was Dinah Craik (1826-1887), a British novelist and poet widely recognized for her works such as "John Halifax, Gentleman" and "A Life for a Life." Her literary achievements brought further recognition to the name Dinah during the Victorian era.
In the field of sports, Dinah Shore (1915-1994) was an American singer, actress, and television personality who also found success as a professional golfer. She hosted the popular Dinah Shore Chevy Show and lent her name to the Dinah Shore Trophy, awarded annually at the LPGA's Dinah Shore Tournament Course Championship.
Dinah Mulock Craik (1826-1887), a British novelist and poet, was another influential figure who bore the name. Her works, including "John Halifax, Gentleman" and "A Life for a Life," garnered widespread acclaim and popularity during the Victorian era.
Throughout history, the name Dinah has carried a rich cultural and biblical significance, spanning various disciplines and eras. From its Hebrew origins to its literary, musical, and sporting associations, the name has left an indelible mark on diverse aspects of human endeavor.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Dinah
People
Dinah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dinah 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
Dinah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dinah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7,333 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dinah 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 46,741 US residents.
Is Dinah a common name?
We classify Dinah as "Rare". It ranks above 97.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10,475 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dinah most popular?
The single biggest year for Dinah was 1955, when 346 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dinah is about 54 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dinah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dinah 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.