boy's name
Dan
DAN
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 3
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 114,266
Northern Ireland
#299
2024 births
Dan means he judged, and it is a full Hebrew name in its own right before it is short for Daniel — one of Jacob's twelve sons, and the tribe that gave its name to the northern border of Israel.
- Dan is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 1958, when 3,702 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 37,675 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Dan over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,402 |
| 1890s | 1,274 |
| 1900s | 1,504 |
| 1910s | 4,775 |
| 1920s | 8,209 |
| 1930s | 9,705 |
| 1940s | 18,073 |
| 1950s | 26,081 |
| 1960s | 22,754 |
| 1970s | 5,604 |
| 1980s | 2,871 |
| 1990s | 1,868 |
| 2000s | 1,459 |
| 2010s | 1,008 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 543 |
What Dan means
Dan means he judged, or he has judged. The Hebrew is a verb rather than a description, taken from the naming speech Rachel gives in Genesis.
Where Dan comes from
Dan stands on its own in Hebrew as well as shortening Daniel, God is my judge. Genesis has Rachel name him with the words God has judged me, and the tribe of Dan settled at the northern edge of Israelite territory, which is why the phrase from Dan to Beersheba means the whole country end to end. Daniel is a separate compound of the same root with el, God. A third Dan exists in English as a place name element meaning a valley, unrelated to either.
Dan in use
Dan peaked in the United States in 1958, when 3,702 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It now ranks 299th in both Ireland on 15 births and Northern Ireland on 6 — an exact tie across seven markets — then 867th in Scotland, 901st in France on 45, 1143rd in England and Wales on 30 and 1972nd in the United States on 88, across 114,266 lifetime births in all seven markets we track.
How popular is Dan?
In 2025, Dan was given to 88 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Dan is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Dan
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Dan also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Dan over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Dan in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Dan
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Dan — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Dan
What does the name Dan mean?
He judged — the words Rachel uses in Genesis when naming him.
Is Dan short for Daniel?
It is used that way, but Dan is a full Hebrew name in its own right and older as such.
What does from Dan to Beersheba mean?
The whole country end to end — Dan was the northern limit of Israelite territory and Beersheba the southern.
Where is Dan used?
All six markets we track, tied at 299th in both Ireland and Northern Ireland.
How popular is the name Dan?
In 2025, Dan was given to 88 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Dan a girl's or a boy's name?
Dan is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Dan?
Dan has 1 syllable.
When was Dan most popular?
Dan peaked in 1958, when 3,702 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Dan a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Dan currently ranks #299 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.