Dakota is a unisex name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Dakota means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Dakota across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Dakota has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Dakota is a unisex name of Native American (Sioux) origin meaning “ally, friend”. from the name of the Dakota people.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 134,576 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,923 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 186 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 133 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 93 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Dakota per year, United States (1915 to 2025). United States peaked in 1995 (7,700/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2024 (120/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2018 (17/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2015 (12/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2018 (8/yr).
Dakota has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1995, when it ranked #87 nationally (given to 7,700 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1990s.
Dakotah · Dakoda · Takoda · Dekota · Dacoda · Dacota · Takita · Takota
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