Find out how popular the last name Dana is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Dana.

Dana, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Dana surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dana in America

Dana is the 6008th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dana surname appeared 5,723 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Dana.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dana to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Dana

The surname DANA has its origins in the Middle Ages and is believed to have originated in various parts of Europe, including Ireland, England, and Germany. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word "dana," which means "bold" or "daring," as well as the Old English word "denu," meaning "valley" or "dell."

In Ireland, the DANA surname is believed to have arisen as a variant of the Irish name O'Dunaing, which comes from the Gaelic word "dun," meaning "fort" or "stronghold." The earliest recorded instances of the name in Ireland date back to the 12th century, with references to individuals bearing the DANA surname appearing in various medieval records and manuscripts.

In England, the DANA surname is thought to have originated as a topographic name, referring to individuals who lived in or near a valley or dell. The name is found in various spellings, such as Dene, Denn, and Denne, in early English records, including the Domesday Book of 1086.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the DANA surname was Sir Ralph de Dene, an English nobleman who lived in the 13th century and fought in the Barons' War against King Henry III. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir John Dana, a 14th-century English knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War.

In Germany, the DANA surname is believed to have derived from the Old German word "tan," meaning "oak" or "oak tree." The name is found in various spellings, such as Dahn, Daan, and Daane, in historical records dating back to the 15th century.

Other notable individuals with the DANA surname include Richard Henry Dana Jr. (1815-1882), an American lawyer and author who wrote the famous memoir "Two Years Before the Mast," and Charles Anderson Dana (1819-1897), an American journalist and newspaper editor who served as the editor of the New York Sun and the New York Tribune.

Throughout history, the DANA surname has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, military leaders, authors, and journalists, reflecting the diverse origins and meanings of this name across different cultures and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dana

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Dana.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Dana was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Dana has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Dana was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dana, please contact us.

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