Dyna
A feminized form of the word "dynamo", meaning powerful or energetic.
Name Census estimates that about 228 living Americans carry the first name Dyna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Dyna today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dyna births was 1967 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dyna. 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
228
~ 1 in 1,503,309 Americans
Peak year
1967
13 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
2024 SSA rank
#15,883
Tracked since 1945
Popularity
Dyna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dyna from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 47 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Dyna remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dyna 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 Dyna 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 Dyna
The name Dyna has its origins in Greek, derived from the word "dynamis," which means "power" or "force." It first emerged in ancient Greece, where it was used as a feminine name, often given to daughters born into families of warriors or leaders.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dyna can be found in the works of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC. He mentions a woman named Dyna, who was a priestess in the city of Ephesus.
During the Hellenistic period, which spanned from the 4th to the 1st century BC, the name Dyna gained popularity across the Mediterranean region. It was particularly favored among the ruling classes, as it conveyed a sense of strength and power.
In the Byzantine Empire, which lasted from the 4th to the 15th century AD, the name Dyna was associated with several notable figures. One of the most famous was Dyna Palaiologina, a Byzantine princess who lived in the 14th century and was known for her intelligence and diplomatic skills.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Dyna was also found in various parts of Europe, particularly in regions with strong Greek cultural influences, such as Italy and Spain.
One notable figure from this period was Dyna of Trebizond, a Byzantine noblewoman who lived in the 15th century and played a crucial role in the defense of the Empire of Trebizond against the Ottoman Turks.
In the Renaissance period, which spanned from the 14th to the 17th century, the name Dyna gained a new level of popularity among artists and intellectuals who were inspired by the classical Greek tradition.
One of the most famous figures with this name was Dyna Hortense, a French scholar and philosopher who lived in the 16th century and was known for her contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy.
Another notable figure from this period was Dyna Maria Crivelli, an Italian painter and sculptor who lived in the 15th century and is celebrated for her innovative works that blended Renaissance styles with classical Greek elements.
In more recent history, the name Dyna has been used across various cultures and regions, though it remains relatively uncommon in many parts of the world.
People
Dyna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dyna 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
Dyna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dyna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 228 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dyna 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 1,503,309 US residents.
Is Dyna a common name?
We classify Dyna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 246 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dyna most popular?
The single biggest year for Dyna was 1967, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dyna is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dyna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dyna 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.