Dakota

#295 for girls in 2025, 1,035 births · #319 for boys in 2025, 1,074 births
Given to boys 69.2% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1995 · 6,575 births
Debut · boys
5 births
In top 100 · boys
9 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
93,118
since 1966

Dakota over time

girlsboys

Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201989peak #190, 2006peak #56, 1995girlsboys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#2951,035#3191,074
2024#2731,160#3261,060
2023#2621,191#3281,017
2022#2591,210#347945
2021#2701,163#339958
2020#2571,175#346920
2019#2591,269#344973
2018#2461,322#349944
2017#2311,362#3401,000
2016#2271,417#376874
2015#2421,334#356943
2014#2831,149#357894
2013#2931,089#350905
2012#3071,039#328961
2011#2941,068#3121,031
2010#2851,142#2921,142
2009#2741,198#2511,387
2008#2661,288#2261,645
2007#2391,486#2021,962
2006#1901,839#1722,367
2005#2251,515#1472,722
2004#2771,180#1372,918
2003#339917#1263,160
2002#323952#1073,487
2001#330943#933,980
2000#2961,086#884,553
1999#2691,167#775,093
1998#2461,242#725,401
1997#2501,175#665,664
1996#2741,055#586,067
1995#2521,125#566,575
1994#305895#695,535
1993#355724#854,411
1992#346752#1033,613
1991#400636#1212,739
1990#596380#1951,551
1989#1,048163#296824
1988#1,40999#363554
1987#1,59178#421430
1986#1,63872#488320
1985#1,80962#866109
1984#3,99019#1,17460
1983#4,68615#1,32749
1982#5,20913#1,48742
1981#4,00519#1,89929
1980#3,31825#1,52440
1979#3,77720#1,67034
1978#4,45915#1,20355
1977#4,65214#2,13122
1976#5,21511#2,60116
1975#4,85412#2,75114
1974#6,2588#3,8378
1973#4,87111#3,4459
1972#7,2926#2,65913
1971#6,0068
1970#3,2829
1969
1968#4,1365
1967
1966#4,8668#3,9485
1965#4,4949
1964#6,0096
1963#6,5925
1962#4,5339
1961#3,60813
1960#3,51213
1959#2,59620
1958#3,74711
1957
1956
1955
1954
1953
1952
1951
1950
1949
1948
1947
1946
1945
1944
1943
1942
1941
1940
1939
1938
1937
1936
1935
1934
1933
1932
1931
1930
1929
1928
1927
1926
1925
1924
1923
1922
1921#4,4646
1920
1919
1918
1917
1916
1915#3,1348
1914
1913
1912
1911
1910
1909
1908
1907
1906
1905
1904
1903
1902
1901
1900
1899
1898
1897
1896
1895
1894
1893
1892
1891
1890
1889
1888
1887
1886
1885
1884
1883
1882
1881
1880
First appearance
1966

The first year at least five boys were named Dakota! It came in at #3,948, and was given to 5 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1966–1969, when fewer than 6 boys a year got the name.

Where Dakota is popular in 1989

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: #141 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 1,141 boysNHWashington: #235 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 1,700 boysWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #283 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 3,505 boysMNIllinois: #461 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 4,568 boysILWisconsin: #203 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 1,839 boysWIMichigan: #294 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 2,777 boysMINew York: #553 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 6,424 boysNYMassachusetts: #489 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 8,752 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedRIOregon: #240 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,768 boysORNevada: #191 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 1,142 boysNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #162 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 936 boysSDIowa: #191 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 1,519 boysIAIndiana: #187 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 1,524 boysINOhio: #208 for boys · 43 births · 1 in 1,816 boysOHPennsylvania: #283 for boys · 29 births · 1 in 2,807 boysPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #479 for boys · 51 births · 1 in 5,268 boysCAUtah: #228 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,506 boysUTColorado: #239 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 1,861 boysCONebraska: #209 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 1,832 boysNEMissouri: #117 for boys · 51 births · 1 in 740 boysMOKentucky: #168 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 1,359 boysKYWest Virginia: #125 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 733 boysWVVirginia: #291 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 2,462 boysVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedDEArizona: #295 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 2,164 boysAZNew Mexico: #168 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 775 boysNMKansas: #186 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 1,311 boysKSArkansas: #182 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,096 boysARTennessee: #179 for boys · 29 births · 1 in 1,194 boysTNNorth Carolina: #263 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 2,011 boysNCSouth Carolina: #385 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 3,369 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #82 for boys · 54 births · 1 in 381 boysOKLouisiana: #271 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 1,596 boysLAMississippi: #258 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,560 boysMSAlabama: #276 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 2,079 boysALGeorgia: #249 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 1,595 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedHITexas: #277 for boys · 86 births · 1 in 1,722 boysTXFlorida: #377 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 3,190 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Oklahoma#82 · 1 in 381
  2. Missouri#117 · 1 in 740
  3. West Virginia#125 · 1 in 733
  4. New Hampshire#141 · 1 in 1,141
  5. South Dakota#162 · 1 in 936

Best ever in a state: #15 in Oklahoma, 1997.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Oklahoma#82541 in 381
Missouri#117511 in 740
West Virginia#125141 in 733
New Hampshire#14171 in 1,141
South Dakota#16251 in 936
Kentucky#168181 in 1,359
New Mexico#168151 in 775
Tennessee#179291 in 1,194
Arkansas#182141 in 1,096
Kansas#186131 in 1,311
Indiana#187261 in 1,524
Iowa#191121 in 1,519
Nevada#19171 in 1,142
Wisconsin#203181 in 1,839
Ohio#208431 in 1,816
Nebraska#20961 in 1,832
Utah#228111 in 1,506
Washington#235201 in 1,700
Colorado#239131 in 1,861
Oregon#240111 in 1,768
Georgia#249311 in 1,595
Mississippi#258111 in 1,560
North Carolina#263231 in 2,011
Louisiana#271201 in 1,596
Alabama#276131 in 2,079
Texas#277861 in 1,722
Minnesota#28391 in 3,505
Pennsylvania#283291 in 2,807
Virginia#291171 in 2,462
Michigan#294251 in 2,777
Arizona#295141 in 2,164
Florida#377281 in 3,190
South Carolina#38571 in 3,369
Illinois#461191 in 4,568
California#479511 in 5,268
Massachusetts#48951 in 8,752
New York#553211 in 6,424
Alaska
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Hawaii
Idaho
Maine
Maryland
Montana
New Jersey
North Dakota
Rhode Island
Vermont
Wyoming

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Dakota
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 7 spots since 2024 (#326#319)
  • 27 spots since 2020 (#346#319)
  • 37 spots since 2015 (#356#319)
  • Biggest jump: 378 spots in 1986 (#866#488)
  • Biggest drop: 41 spots in 2010 (#251#292)
Rise & fade · boys
29 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1966
  • Peaked 1995 at #56 (6,575 births)
  • Births halved by 2003, 8 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 9 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 9 yrs · run 1993–2001
  • Top 1,000: 41 yrs · run 1985–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 290
  • Highest: 1 in 290 boys born in 1995 were named Dakota (0.35%)
  • Latest: 1 in 1,590 boys born in 2025 (0.06%)
Era · boys
The 1990s
  • 50.1% of all boys named Dakota (46,649) were born in this decade
Girls or boys?
Flipped in 2025
  • Mostly girls until 2024, mostly boys since
all girlsall boys
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1960s10#3,948 (1966)#4,042
1970s180#1,203 (1978)#2,620
1980s2,457#296 (1989)#985
1990s46,649#56 (1995)#90
2000s28,181#88 (2000)#155
2010s9,667#292 (2010)#340
2020s5,974#319 (2025)#334

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Dakota in 1989

girls
#1,048
163 births · 1 in 11,310 girls
boys
#296
824 births · 1 in 2,428 boys

Top girls' names in 1989

  1. #1Jessica47,887
  2. #2Ashley47,588
  3. #3Brittany37,792
  4. #4Amanda36,834
  5. #5Sarah27,797
  6. #6Samantha24,792
  7. #7Jennifer24,006
  8. #8Stephanie22,766
  9. #9Lauren21,065
  10. #10Elizabeth20,298
  11. #1,048Dakota163

Top boys' names in 1989

  1. #1Michael65,415
  2. #2Christopher53,186
  3. #3Matthew45,375
  4. #4Joshua44,100
  5. #5David35,225
  6. #6Daniel35,007
  7. #7Andrew34,817
  8. #8Justin32,852
  9. #9James32,720
  10. #10Robert30,072
  11. #296Dakota824
More about 1989

girls

1,843,552 girls got a published name in 1989; 1 in 11,310 of them was named Dakota, which outranked 92.8% of the 14,550 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Dakota
  1. #1,042Marta164
  2. #1,042Reina164
  3. #1,042Shanell164
  4. #1,048Dakota163
  5. #1,048Marcela163
  6. #1,048Ramona163
  7. #1,051Alesia162
  8. #1,051Ashlea162
  9. #1,051Janee162

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1988
Risers
  1. 9,523Audriana#10,386#863
  2. 7,504Martika#8,391#887
  3. 6,932Audrianna#7,691#759
  4. 3,972Elizabet#4,496#524
  5. 1,772Katherin#2,489#717
Fallers
  1. 539Diandra#905#1,444
  2. 524Taja#720#1,244
  3. 455Jonathan#999#1,454
  4. 445Katarina#960#1,405
  5. 397Caryn#816#1,213

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

2,000,928 boys got a published name in 1989; 1 in 2,428 of them was named Dakota, which outranked 96.8% of the 9,232 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 20.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Dakota
  1. #293Jarrod833
  2. #294Morgan828
  3. #295Kelvin826
  4. #296Dakota824
  5. #297Alvin823
  6. #298Jermaine820
  7. #299Kelly811
Biggest movers since 1988
Risers
  1. 6,314Kiara#7,270#956
  2. 5,870Alexande#6,426#556
  3. 1,111Kwame#1,768#657
  4. 766Kadeem#1,467#701
  5. 684Hakeem#1,270#586
Fallers
  1. 839Long#819#1,658
  2. 337Darell#981#1,318
  3. 294Whitney#890#1,184
  4. 269Trevin#840#1,109
  5. 252Curt#850#1,102

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1989