The Baby Name Wizard

Reader Contributions

Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Dana!

Comments and insights on the name Dana: | Edit

I once read a book on Celtic Mythology that revealed the meaning of the name Dana/Dane/Danu meant, "Mother to the Gods" and apparently was absorbed by Bridgette (St. Bridgette) in Scotland/Ireland over time.
I also learned that Queen Latifah's birth name is Dana.
It is interesting that the height of the names popularity was 1970 as I was born in 1969 and named Dana. I am female and although I consider myself strong, I am quite feminine.
I used to think the name was a boy's name (which of course it is androgynous) but I have come to appreciate that and the name as well. I find it to be somewhat unique.
I have often gotten compliments on my name, especially from men.
I'm glad my mom picked Dana (Karla was in the running too).

Personal experiences with the name Dana: | Edit

I have a cousin named Dana, yet she is quite feminine.

The Dana I know is all girl, but is very strong willed :)

My name is Dana and I have always loved it. I was the only one with the name Dana in my class of close to 300 people. I am pretty feminine, but love sports as well. I've met a handful of Dana's through the years and they all seemed to have been similar to me.

My name is Dana, and I love being a Dana. It's unique without being bizarre. I'm kind of a loud, fun person. I'm not super girly. I like all kinds of boy stuff like action movies, fighting, and gore. But I have brothers. so... I'm more artist than administrator. I'm a writer, musician, and actor. And I love that. It's a creative person's name.

I'm a Dana and I must say that I am pretty girly but, like the poster above, very strong willed. I've met maybe three Dana's in my life, two of those being middle aged men. So being a young woman, I feel that my name is somewhat unique, though certainly not rare, in my area and I quite like that. Dana does not lend itself to nicknames very well and while I don't like that fact it's certainly a good choice for parents who don't like nicknames.

Nicknames for Dana: | Edit

Dane

Meanings and history of the name Dana: | Edit

I have also seen the meaning "Bright as the day" for this name.

I have read the some and it was danish

Famous real-life people named Dana: | Edit

Dana (born Rosemary Brown), Irish singer of Catholic music
Dana Delaney, actress
Dana Plato, actress (Diff'rent Strokes)
Dana Reeve, singer and advocate for the disabled
Dana Halabi, Lebanese singer
Dana Wynter (born Dagmar Wynter), German-American actress

Dana in song, story & screen: | Edit

Dana Scully, character in the 1990s television series "The X-Files", played by Gillian Anderson
Dana Foster, character in the 1980s televison series "Step By Step"
"Letter to Dana", a song by Sonata Arctica about a woman named Dana
Dana Gibson, a character in the early 2000s television series "According to Jim", played by Kimberly Williams Paisley