Given name & surname
Dakota
“a friend to all”
Dakota is used as a given name and a surname. One Native American interpretation is “a friend to all.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Native American interpretation is “a friend to all.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Native American.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1915. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Dakota through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 134,576
- 93,118 boys · 41,458 girls
- Most popular year
- 1995
- 7,700 babies
- 2025
- 2,109
- #319 for boys · #296 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −4%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 44% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,074 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 319 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 7.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 6,575 in 1995. It also appeared in 1,035 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (110). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 102,684 as a first name in 2020; 261 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Dakota’s family of names
In English usage, Dakota has a diminutive in DAK. Dakota has a related form in Dakotah. Dakota has a related form in Dakoda.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Dakodavariant
- Dakotahvariant
- Dakclipped form · English
- Dekotavariant
- Dakkotalikely variant
- Dakodahvariant
- Dakottavariant
- Dakoetahvariant
Show 4 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Dakota
- Dakota JohnsonAmerican actress and model (born 1989)
- Dakota Blue RichardsEnglish actressborn 1994
- Dakota GoyoCanadian actorborn 1999
- Dakota KaiNew Zealand professional wrestlerborn 1988
- Dakota StatonAmerican jazz vocalist (1930-2007)
- Dakota MathiasAmerican basketball player (born 1995)
- Dakota DitchevaBritish Muay Thai practitionerborn 1999
- Dakota MeyerUnited States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipientborn 1988
- Dakota LucasNew Zealand footballerborn 1991
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Dakota, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Tennessee
“from the state of Tennessee”
41% boys · 59% girls
Montana
Montana is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “woman of the mountains; from the state of Montana” (Latin) and “from the mountainous region; from the state of Montana” (Spanish). These may reflect different naming traditions.
39% boys · 61% girls
Lakota
“a beloved friend”
49% boys · 51% girls
Akela
“one who is noble”
33% boys · 67% girls
Denver
“from the green valley”
62% boys · 38% girls
Seneca
“a tribal name”
41% boys · 59% girls
Indiana
Indiana is used as a given name. One English interpretation is “from the land of the Indians; from the state of Indiana.”
43% boys · 57% girls
Alika
“one who is honest”
47% boys · 53% girls