Dana is a unisex given name. It was among the 100 most popular names given to girls born in the United States between 1960 and 1990. It has since fallen in popularity and was ranked the 446th most popular name given to girls born in the United States in 2007. As a male forename it was of the 314th rank out of 1,219 in the 1990 U.S. census.
Derivations The name has multiple derivations. Dana or Danah, in Arabic, means 'the most perfectly sized, valuable and beautiful pearl'. This name is used by Arab states of the Persian Gulf (Eastern Arabia), due to their traditional pearl diving professions wherein they gave different type of pearls names. In Persian, the word dānā literally means 'wise', and some speculate that the name is first used as a first name in Shahnameh. In Persian, it is both a masculine and a feminine given name.
It is also occasionally regarded as a feminine version of Daniel or a short version of feminine names such as Bogdana or Yordana. In Hebrew, the name Dana is the feminine form of Dan, and means 'arbiter'. In Romanian and Czech, it is a feminine name, derived from the name Daniela; the masculine form being Dan/Daniel. In Polish, it is a feminine name, derived from the name Danuta.
People with the name Female
Mononymous Dana (South Korean singer) (born 1986), South Korean pop singer
Other Dana Abed Kader (born 1996), Romanian-Syrian handball player Dana Abilda (born 1996), Kazakhstani handball player Dana Agisheva (born 1980), Russian actress Dana Al Fardan (born 1985), Qatari composer Dana Al Khalifa, Bahraini blogger and member of the Bahraini royal family Dana Al-Nasrallah (born 1988), Kuwaiti Olympic sprinter Dana Alston (1951–1999), American environmental justice advocate Dana Amir, Israeli poet and psychologist Dana Anderson (born 1973), Canadian former field hockey player Dana Andrews, American singer and musician, contestant on the TV show Rockstar: Supernova Dana Angluin, professor of computer science at Yale University Dana Antal (born 1977), Canadian ice hockey player, gold medalist at the 2002 Winter Olympics Dana Beth Ardi, American entrepreneur, human capitalist, author, and contemporary art collector Dana Arnold (born 1961), British professor of architectural history Dana Awartani, Palestinian-Saudi artist Dana Baiocco, American government official Dana Balcarová (born 1960), Czech politician Dana Barron (born 1966), American actress Dana Bash (born 1971), CNN News reporter and anchorwoman Dana Batulková (born 1958), Czech actress and local politician Dana Belben, American voice actress, animator, screenwriter, effects artist, and comedian Dana Berger (born 1970), Israeli singer-songwriter and occasional actress Dana Bergstrom, Australian ecologist Dana Berliner, American lawyer, litigation director at the Institute for Justice Dana Bérová (born 1967), Czech businesswoman and former government minister Dana Beyer (born 1952), American politician and activist Dana Blankstein Cohen (born 1981), Israeli filmmaker Dana Bolles, American space flight engineer Dana H. Born (born 1961), brigadier general in the United States Air Force Dana Bradley (died 1981), Canadian murder victim Dana Broccoli (1922–2004), actress and novelist, wife of producer Albert R. Broccoli, mother of producer Michael G. Wilson Dana Brooke (born 1988), American professional wrestler Dana Brožková (born 1981), Czech orienteering competitor Dana Brýdlová (born 1963), Czech gymnast Dana Buchman, fashion designer Dana Bunescu (born 1969), Romanian actress Dana Burde, American political scientist Dana Cameron (born 1965), American archaeologist, and author of award-winning crime fiction and urban fantasy Dana Canedy (born 1965), American journalist, author, publisher and Pulitzer Prize winner and administrator Dana R. Carney, American psychologist Dana Carteleanu (born 1979), Romanian rhythmic gymnast Dana Čechová (born 1983), Czech table tennis player Dana Cervantes (born 1978), Spanish Olympic pole vaulter Dana "Pokey" Chatman (born 1969), general manager and head coach of the Chicago Sky of the WNBA Dana Chisnell, American technologist Dana Chladek (born 1963), Czechoslovak-born American Olympic slalom kayaker and coach Dana Chmelařová (born 1960), Czech diver Dana Ciocarlie (born 1968), French pianist Dana Claxton (born 1959), Hunkpapa Lakota filmmaker, photographer and performance artist Dana Coons (born 1978), American long-distance runner Dana Cordell, Australian academic Dana Cowin, magazine editor (Food & Wine, Mademoiselle, HG) Dana Hudkins Crawford (1931–2025), American architectural preservationist Dana Cuff (born 1953), American architect, professor, and founding director of UCLA's cityLAB Dana Tippin Cutler, lawyer and news personality Dana Dajani, Palestinian actress and writer Dana Danilenko (born 2001), Israeli badminton player Dana Dattelbaum, American physicist Dana Davis (born 1978), American actress, known for 10 Things I Hate About You and Franklin & Bash Dana Dawson (1974–2010), American actress and singer Dana DeArmond (born 1979), American pornographic actress Dana Delany (born 1956), American film, stage, and television actress Dana DeLorenzo (born 1983), American actress Dana Dentata (born 1990), Canadian musician and model Dana Devine (died 2024), Canadian immunologist Dana Dobbie (born 1984), Canadian lacrosse player and coach Dana Dodd (1985–2006), American woman who was murdered Dana Dogaru (born 1953), Romanian actress Dana Dormann (born 1967), American professional golfer, also played as Dana Lofland Dana Douglas (born 1975), American judge Dana Drábová (1961–2025), Czech physicist and local politician Dana Dragomir (born 1964), Swedish musician Dana East (born 2002), Australian rules footballer Dana Eden (1973–2026), Israeli television producer Dana Elazar-HaLevi, Israeli children's writer Dana Ellis (born 1979), Canadian pole vaulter Dana Ellyn, American painter Dana Erlich (born 1980), Israeli diplomat Dana Eskelson (born 1965), American television, film, and theater actress Dana Fabe (born 1951), lawyer, Chief Justice of Alaska Supreme Court Dana Falconberry, American songwriter Dana Faletic (born 1977), Australian Olympic rower Dana Fecková (born 1987), Slovak football striker Dana Ferguson (born 1987), Canadian curler Dana Firas (born 1970), Jordanian royal Dana Fischer (born 2010), American Magic: The Gathering player Dana R. Fisher (born 1971), American sociologist Dana Fisman, Israeli computer scientist Dana Flynn (born 1975), also known as Didem Erol, Australian-born Turkish-American actress, model, and TV host Dana Foederer (born 2002), Dutch footballer Dana Fox (born 1976), American screenwriter Dana Frankfort (born 1971), New York-based artist, painting professor at Boston University College of Fine Arts Dana Fuchs (born 1976), American singer, songwriter, actress, and voice actress Dana Gaier (born 1997), American actress and singer Dana Gilbert (born 1959), American tennis player Dana Gillespie (born 1949), English actress and singer Dana E. Glauberman (born 1968), American film editor Dana Glover (born 1974), American pop singer and songwriter Dana Gluckstein, American visual artist and photographer Dana Goldberg (comedian) (born 1976) Dana Goldstein, American journalist and editor Dana Goodyear (born 1976), American journalist, poet and author, co-founder of Figment online community Dana G. Goski, material scientist Dana Gourrier, American actress Dana Sue Gray (born 1957), American serial killer Dana Guth (born 1970), German politician Dana Guzmán (born 2003), Peruvian tennis player Dana Haidar (born 1993), Jordanian taekwondo competitor Dana Harrison (1960–2018), American business professional Dana Hee (born 1961), American Olympic taekwondo competitor, motivational speaker and stuntwoman Dana Herrmannová (1931–2024), Slovak television presenter Dana Hill (1964–1996), American actress and voice actor Dana Hoey (born 1966), American photographer Dana Hooker (born 1991), Australian rules footballer Dana G. Hoyt, president of Sam Houston State University Dana Humby (born 1979), former New Zealand association football player Dana Hussain (born 1986), sprinter on Iraq's national track and field team Dana Inkster, Canadian artist and filmmaker Dana International (born 1969), Israeli singer (stage name of Sharon Cohen), winner of the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest Dana Ivey (born 1941), American character actress Dana Ivgy (born 1982), Israeli actress Dana Jacobson (born 1971), American sports journalist and former ESPN anchor Dana Johnson, American writer Dana Jurásková (born 1961), Czech politician, former Minister of Health Dana Kerem (born 1986), Israeli football defender Dana Kimmell (born 1959), American actress Dana King (born 1960), former American TV news anchor Dana Kirkpatrick, New Zealand politician Dana Kletter (born 1959), American musician and writer Dana Kochavi (born 2007), Israeli chess player Dana Kolidzeja (born 1999), Latvian swimmer Dana Krumbiegel (born 1969), German footballer Dana Kuchtová (born 1961), Czech Green politician, former Minister of Education Dana Kuehn (born 1971), American judge Dana Kugel (born 1997), Israeli badminton player Dana Kursh, Israeli politician Dana LaCroix (born 1966), Canadian-American singer and songwriter Dana Layton, American politician Dana Lepofsky, Canadian archaeologist and ethnobiologist Dana Leskinen (born 2001), Finnish footballer Dana Levenberg, American politician Dana Levin (born 1965), American poet and creative writing instructor Dana Aliya Levinson, actress, writer and trans advocate Dana Lixenberg (born 1964), Dutch photographer Dana Loesch (born 1978), American conservative TV and radio host Dana Jeri Maier (born 1982), American artist and cartoonist Dana Mann (born 1984), American slalom canoer, formerly competed for Slovakia as Dana Beňušová Dana Marie, Canadian Christian rock singer Dana Marlowe, US social entrepreneur and activist Dana Martanová, former Czechoslovak slalom canoer Dana Marton, romantic suspense novelist Dana Mase, American pop singer and songwriter Dana Mathewson (born 1990), American wheelchair tennis player Dana Mathis, American pop singer and songwriter Dana McCauley (born 1966), Canadian chef and food writer Dana McKeon, Maltese musical artist Dana McLean, American lawyer Dana McVicker, American country music singer Donella H. "Dana" Meadows (1941–2001), American environmental scientist, teacher and writer Dana Medřická (1920–1983), Czechoslovak film actress Dana Moffat (born 1997), American rower Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaican politician Dana Moshkovitz, Israeli theoretical computer scientist Dana Murray, American animator and producer Dana Murray (politician) (born 1946) Dana Murphy, American Republican politician from Oklahoma Dana Nălbaru (born 1976), Romanian singer, songwriter, and musician, member of Hi-Q Dana Nechushtan (born 1970), Dutch director and screenwriter Dana D. Nelson (born 1962), professor of English at Vanderbilt University, progressive advocate for citizenship and democracy Dana Němcová (1934–2023), Czech politician and psychologist Dana Nessel (born 1969), American politician and lawyer Dana Nutu, Romanian-Australian chess player and trainer, also known as Daniela Nuțu-Gajić (born 1957) Dana Offenbach, American film producer Dana Okimoto, American former Branch Davidian Dana Oldfather (born 1978), American oil painter and dinnerware designer Dana Olmert (born 1972), Israeli left-wing activist, literary theorist and editor, daughter of Ehud Olmert Dana Owens, also known as Queen Latifah (born 1970), American rapper, singer and actress Dana Oxley (born 1967), American judge Dana Pe'er, bioinformatician Dana G. Peleg (born 1969), Israeli writer, translator, journalist and LGBTQI activist