Is Dakota a boy or girl name?
Dakota is used for both boys and girls in close to equal numbers in the US. In 2024, 1,155 girls and 1,053 boys were named Dakota, so 52.3% were girls. Across 1880–2024, 30.5% of the 132,430 US babies named Dakota were girls.
- Boy rank, 2024
- #328
- Girl rank, 2024
- #272
- Babies named Dakota since 1915
- 132,430
- Most popular year
- 1995
- 7,700 babies
Boys and girls named Dakota, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 0 | 8 | 100% |
| 1920s | 0 | 6 | 100% |
| 1930s | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1940s | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1950s | 0 | 31 | 100% |
| 1960s | 10 | 63 | 86.3% |
| 1970s | 180 | 105 | 36.8% |
| 1980s | 2,459 | 566 | 18.7% |
| 1990s | 46,650 | 9,152 | 16.4% |
| 2000s | 28,180 | 12,403 | 30.6% |
| 2010s | 9,661 | 12,187 | 55.8% |
| 2020s | 4,880 | 5,889 | 54.7% |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,053 | #328 | 1,155 | #272 |
| 2023 | 1,014 | #328 | 1,189 | #262 |
| 2022 | 941 | #349 | 1,209 | #258 |
| 2021 | 954 | #343 | 1,162 | #270 |
| 2020 | 918 | #348 | 1,174 | #257 |
| 2019 | 973 | #344 | 1,269 | #258 |
| 2018 | 942 | #351 | 1,321 | #246 |
| 2017 | 999 | #340 | 1,360 | #231 |
| 2016 | 874 | #376 | 1,417 | #227 |
| 2015 | 942 | #356 | 1,333 | #242 |
| 2014 | 893 | #358 | 1,149 | #283 |
| 2013 | 905 | #350 | 1,089 | #293 |
| 2012 | 961 | #328 | 1,039 | #308 |
| 2011 | 1,030 | #312 | 1,068 | #294 |
| 2010 | 1,142 | #292 | 1,142 | #285 |
| 2009 | 1,387 | #251 | 1,198 | #274 |
| 2008 | 1,645 | #226 | 1,287 | #266 |
| 2007 | 1,961 | #202 | 1,486 | #239 |
| 2006 | 2,367 | #172 | 1,839 | #190 |
| 2005 | 2,722 | #148 | 1,515 | #225 |
| 2004 | 2,918 | #137 | 1,180 | #278 |
| 2003 | 3,160 | #126 | 917 | #340 |
| 2002 | 3,487 | #107 | 952 | #323 |
| 2001 | 3,980 | #93 | 943 | #330 |
| 2000 | 4,553 | #88 | 1,086 | #296 |
| 1999 | 5,093 | #77 | 1,167 | #269 |
| 1998 | 5,401 | #72 | 1,242 | #247 |
| 1997 | 5,664 | #66 | 1,175 | #250 |
| 1996 | 6,067 | #58 | 1,055 | #274 |
| 1995 | 6,575 | #56 | 1,125 | #252 |
| 1994 | 5,536 | #69 | 895 | #306 |
| 1993 | 4,411 | #85 | 724 | #355 |
| 1992 | 3,613 | #103 | 753 | #346 |
| 1991 | 2,740 | #121 | 636 | #400 |
| 1990 | 1,550 | #195 | 380 | #596 |
| 1989 | 824 | #296 | 163 | #1,048 |
| 1988 | 554 | #363 | 99 | #1,410 |
| 1987 | 430 | #421 | 78 | #1,593 |
| 1986 | 321 | #488 | 72 | #1,641 |
| 1985 | 109 | #869 | 62 | #1,815 |
| 1984 | 60 | #1,179 | 19 | #4,033 |
| 1983 | 49 | #1,327 | 15 | #4,719 |
| 1982 | 43 | #1,465 | 14 | #4,987 |
| 1981 | 29 | #1,906 | 19 | #4,033 |
| 1980 | 40 | #1,527 | 25 | #3,342 |
| 1979 | 34 | #1,682 | 20 | #3,801 |
| 1978 | 55 | #1,205 | 15 | #4,488 |
| 1977 | 22 | #2,139 | 14 | #4,709 |
| 1976 | 16 | #2,626 | 11 | #5,288 |
| 1975 | 14 | #2,782 | 12 | #4,913 |
| 1974 | 8 | #3,901 | 8 | #6,368 |
| 1973 | 9 | #3,498 | 11 | #4,939 |
| 1972 | 13 | #2,691 | 6 | #7,473 |
| 1971 | 0 | – | 8 | #6,120 |
| 1970 | 9 | #3,334 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 5 | #4,248 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 5 | #4,058 | 8 | #4,949 |
| 1965 | 0 | – | 9 | #4,564 |
| 1964 | 0 | – | 6 | #6,142 |
| 1963 | 0 | – | 5 | #6,788 |
| 1962 | 0 | – | 9 | #4,593 |
| 1961 | 0 | – | 13 | #3,634 |
| 1960 | 0 | – | 13 | #3,538 |
| 1959 | 0 | – | 20 | #2,610 |
| 1958 | 0 | – | 11 | #3,781 |
| 1957 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1929 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1921 | 0 | – | 6 | #4,589 |
| 1920 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1919 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1918 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1917 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1916 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1915 | 0 | – | 8 | #3,193 |
Highest rank
As a boy name, Dakota reached #56 in 1995. As a girl name, it reached #190 in 2006. Ranks count every name SSA published for that year and sex, so they go well past the top 1,000.
Names from the same era
These names were also most popular in the 1990s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
Names spelled like Dakota
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2024. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.