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#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201995peak #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 1995

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #46 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 163 boysAKMaine: #56 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 190 boysMEVermont: #48 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 161 boysVTNew Hampshire: #64 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 243 boysNHWashington: #50 for boys · 150 births · 1 in 221 boysWAIdaho: #24 for boys · 62 births · 1 in 117 boysIDMontana: #55 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 179 boysMTNorth Dakota: #103 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 383 boysNDMinnesota: #95 for boys · 73 births · 1 in 388 boysMNIllinois: #56 for boys · 274 births · 1 in 302 boysILWisconsin: #38 for boys · 172 births · 1 in 171 boysWIMichigan: #48 for boys · 294 births · 1 in 206 boysMINew York: #109 for boys · 200 births · 1 in 612 boysNYMassachusetts: #119 for boys · 49 births · 1 in 769 boysMARhode Island: #106 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 561 boysRIOregon: #32 for boys · 136 births · 1 in 142 boysORNevada: #45 for boys · 53 births · 1 in 187 boysNVWyoming: #48 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 152 boysWYSouth Dakota: #121 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 518 boysSDIowa: #31 for boys · 138 births · 1 in 119 boysIAIndiana: #26 for boys · 352 births · 1 in 108 boysINOhio: #44 for boys · 352 births · 1 in 204 boysOHPennsylvania: #62 for boys · 259 births · 1 in 274 boysPANew Jersey: #138 for boys · 57 births · 1 in 869 boysNJConnecticut: #146 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 966 boysCTCalifornia: #162 for boys · 359 births · 1 in 724 boysCAUtah: #45 for boys · 99 births · 1 in 177 boysUTColorado: #66 for boys · 93 births · 1 in 263 boysCONebraska: #50 for boys · 59 births · 1 in 170 boysNEMissouri: #30 for boys · 289 births · 1 in 119 boysMOKentucky: #26 for boys · 233 births · 1 in 100 boysKYWest Virginia: #20 for boys · 118 births · 1 in 80 boysWVVirginia: #51 for boys · 187 births · 1 in 213 boysVAMaryland: #93 for boys · 62 births · 1 in 476 boysMDDelaware: #64 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 287 boysDEArizona: #81 for boys · 96 births · 1 in 338 boysAZNew Mexico: #75 for boys · 38 births · 1 in 283 boysNMKansas: #26 for boys · 137 births · 1 in 111 boysKSArkansas: #21 for boys · 146 births · 1 in 95 boysARTennessee: #37 for boys · 237 births · 1 in 146 boysTNNorth Carolina: #50 for boys · 203 births · 1 in 221 boysNCSouth Carolina: #63 for boys · 61 births · 1 in 327 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #16 for boys · 218 births · 1 in 89 boysOKLouisiana: #68 for boys · 85 births · 1 in 320 boysLAMississippi: #56 for boys · 54 births · 1 in 279 boysMSAlabama: #42 for boys · 126 births · 1 in 196 boysALGeorgia: #58 for boys · 168 births · 1 in 288 boysGAHawaii: #120 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 494 boysHITexas: #85 for boys · 422 births · 1 in 363 boysTXFlorida: #67 for boys · 256 births · 1 in 332 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Oklahoma#16 · 1 in 89
  2. West Virginia#20 · 1 in 80
  3. Arkansas#21 · 1 in 95
  4. Idaho#24 · 1 in 117
  5. Kentucky#26 · 1 in 100

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Oklahoma#162181 in 89
West Virginia#201181 in 80
Arkansas#211461 in 95
Idaho#24621 in 117
Indiana#263521 in 108
Kansas#261371 in 111
Kentucky#262331 in 100
Missouri#302891 in 119
Iowa#311381 in 119
Oregon#321361 in 142
Tennessee#372371 in 146
Wisconsin#381721 in 171
Alabama#421261 in 196
Ohio#443521 in 204
Nevada#45531 in 187
Utah#45991 in 177
Alaska#46221 in 163
Michigan#482941 in 206
Vermont#48161 in 161
Wyoming#48131 in 152
Nebraska#50591 in 170
North Carolina#502031 in 221
Washington#501501 in 221
Virginia#511871 in 213
Montana#55231 in 179
Illinois#562741 in 302
Maine#56311 in 190
Mississippi#56541 in 279
Georgia#581681 in 288
Pennsylvania#622591 in 274
South Carolina#63611 in 327
Delaware#64141 in 287
New Hampshire#64261 in 243
Colorado#66931 in 263
Florida#672561 in 332
Louisiana#68851 in 320
New Mexico#75381 in 283
Arizona#81961 in 338
Texas#854221 in 363
Maryland#93621 in 476
Minnesota#95731 in 388
North Dakota#103101 in 383
Rhode Island#106101 in 561
New York#1092001 in 612
Massachusetts#119491 in 769
Hawaii#120121 in 494
South Dakota#12181 in 518
New Jersey#138571 in 869
Connecticut#146201 in 966
California#1623591 in 724
District of Columbia

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 1995

girls
#252
1,125 births · 1 in 1,563 girls
boys
#56
6,575 births · 1 in 290 boys

Top girls' names in 1995

  1. #1Jessica27,941
  2. #2Ashley26,606
  3. #3Emily24,382
  4. #4Samantha21,644
  5. #5Sarah21,395
  6. #6Taylor20,426
  7. #7Hannah17,018
  8. #8Brittany16,477
  9. #9Amanda16,354
  10. #10Elizabeth16,192
  11. #252Dakota1,125

Top boys' names in 1995

  1. #1Michael41,409
  2. #2Matthew32,882
  3. #3Christopher32,679
  4. #4Jacob31,134
  5. #5Joshua30,720
  6. #6Tyler29,161
  7. #7Nicholas29,160
  8. #8Brandon26,904
  9. #9Daniel26,728
  10. #10Austin25,908
  11. #56Dakota6,575
More about 1995

girls

1,758,548 girls got a published name in 1995; 1 in 1,563 of them was named Dakota, which outranked 98.4% of the 15,753 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 11.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Dakota
  1. #249Jessie1,138
  2. #250Maggie1,137
  3. #251Cecilia1,128
  4. #252Dakota1,125
  5. #253Tessa1,119
  6. #254Marina1,104
  7. #255Mia1,101
Biggest movers since 1994
Risers
  1. 6,718Iridian#7,604#886
  2. 2,689Daija#3,615#926
  3. 2,119Lyric#2,752#633
  4. 1,910Daja#2,877#967
  5. 1,602Shania#2,047#445
Fallers
  1. 1,205Nohely#896#2,101
  2. 1,048Zana#802#1,850
  3. 869Kadijah#512#1,381
  4. 609Clarisa#664#1,273
  5. 514Dayana#751#1,265

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

boys

1,903,701 boys got a published name in 1995; 1 in 290 of them was named Dakota, which outranked 99.5% of the 10,330 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.1% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Dakota
  1. #53Hunter6,715
  2. #54Caleb6,655
  3. #55Connor6,619
  4. #56Dakota6,575
  5. #57Stephen6,556
  6. #58Devin6,193
  7. #59Luis6,174
Biggest movers since 1994
Risers
  1. 1,703Tristin#2,307#604
  2. 1,494Raekwon#2,082#588
  3. 1,357Tristian#2,219#862
  4. 1,269Triston#1,795#526
  5. 1,186Rashaan#2,123#937
Fallers
  1. 469Shyheim#817#1,286
  2. 335Ryne#897#1,232
  3. 251Daulton#792#1,043
  4. 247Demetri#886#1,133
  5. 242Jerrell#917#1,159

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

See the top 100 for 1995