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#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201988peak #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—
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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 1988

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: #154 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,540 boysNHWashington: #423 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 4,657 boysWAIdaho: #146 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 795 boysIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedMNIllinois: #523 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 5,961 boysILWisconsin: #279 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 3,240 boysWIMichigan: #475 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 6,467 boysMINew York: #635 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 8,646 boysNYMassachusetts: #463 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 8,294 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedRIOregon: #283 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 2,622 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #156 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 941 boysSDIowa: #188 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,608 boysIAIndiana: #241 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 2,282 boysINOhio: #260 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 2,747 boysOHPennsylvania: #445 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 6,593 boysPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #516 for boys · 44 births · 1 in 5,733 boysCAUtah: #196 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 1,355 boysUTColorado: #281 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 2,414 boysCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedNEMissouri: #172 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 1,304 boysMOKentucky: #201 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 1,816 boysKYWest Virginia: #170 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 1,478 boysWVVirginia: #257 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 2,112 boysVAMaryland: #470 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 6,132 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: #235 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 1,270 boysNMKansas: #176 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,191 boysKSArkansas: #332 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 2,939 boysARTennessee: #191 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 1,472 boysTNNorth Carolina: #316 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 2,720 boysNCSouth Carolina: #287 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 2,043 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #87 for boys · 48 births · 1 in 432 boysOKLouisiana: #291 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,858 boysLAMississippi: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedALGeorgia: #288 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 2,224 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Dakota, so not publishedHITexas: #375 for boys · 46 births · 1 in 3,133 boysTXFlorida: #456 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 4,446 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Oklahoma#87 · 1 in 432
  2. Idaho#146 · 1 in 795
  3. New Hampshire#154 · 1 in 1,540
  4. South Dakota#156 · 1 in 941
  5. West Virginia#170 · 1 in 1,478

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Oklahoma#87481 in 432
Idaho#14681 in 795
New Hampshire#15451 in 1,540
South Dakota#15651 in 941
West Virginia#17071 in 1,478
Missouri#172281 in 1,304
Kansas#176141 in 1,191
Iowa#188111 in 1,608
Tennessee#191231 in 1,472
Utah#196121 in 1,355
Kentucky#201131 in 1,816
New Mexico#23591 in 1,270
Indiana#241171 in 2,282
Virginia#257191 in 2,112
Ohio#260281 in 2,747
Wisconsin#279101 in 3,240
Colorado#281101 in 2,414
Oregon#28371 in 2,622
South Carolina#287111 in 2,043
Georgia#288211 in 2,224
Louisiana#291171 in 1,858
North Carolina#316161 in 2,720
Arkansas#33251 in 2,939
Texas#375461 in 3,133
Washington#42371 in 4,657
Pennsylvania#445121 in 6,593
Florida#456191 in 4,446
Massachusetts#46351 in 8,294
Maryland#47051 in 6,132
Michigan#475101 in 6,467
California#516441 in 5,733
Illinois#523141 in 5,961
New York#635151 in 8,646
Alabama———
Alaska———
Arizona———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Maine———
Minnesota———
Mississippi———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Jersey———
North Dakota———
Rhode Island———
Vermont———
Wyoming———

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 1988

girls
#1,409
99 births · 1 in 17,988 girls
boys
#363
554 births · 1 in 3,455 boys

Top girls' names in 1988

  1. #1Jessica51,556
  2. #2Ashley49,977
  3. #3Amanda39,459
  4. #4Sarah28,374
  5. #5Jennifer27,893
  6. #6Brittany26,816
  7. #7Stephanie22,843
  8. #8Samantha20,700
  9. #9Nicole20,315
  10. #10Elizabeth20,042
  11. #1,409Dakota99

Top boys' names in 1988

  1. #1Michael64,171
  2. #2Christopher53,014
  3. #3Matthew45,876
  4. #4Joshua42,653
  5. #5Andrew35,745
  6. #6David35,329
  7. #7Justin35,055
  8. #8Daniel34,718
  9. #9James32,523
  10. #10Robert30,319
  11. #363Dakota554
More about 1988

girls

1,780,854 girls got a published name in 1988; 1 in 17,988 of them was named Dakota, which outranked 89.9% of the 13,883 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Dakota
  1. #1,400Shelia100
  2. #1,400Tashina100
  3. #1,400Vickie100
  4. #1,409Dakota99
  5. #1,409Cassaundra99
  6. #1,409Desire99
  7. #1,409Jose99
  8. #1,420Amalia98
  9. #1,420Brett98
  10. #1,420Katina98

Tied with 10 names at #1,409; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1987
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,890Jalissa#3,857 → #967
  2. ↑ 2,381Taja#3,101 → #720
  3. ↑ 1,710Whitley#2,156 → #446
  4. ↑ 1,225Jalisa#1,662 → #437
  5. ↑ 883Jaleesa#1,227 → #344
Fallers
  1. ↓ 620Channing#590 → #1,210
  2. ↓ 346Denisse#954 → #1,300
  3. ↓ 319Jeana#966 → #1,285
  4. ↓ 314Eliana#826 → #1,140
  5. ↓ 311Nakia#893 → #1,204

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

boys

1,914,283 boys got a published name in 1988; 1 in 3,455 of them was named Dakota, which outranked 95.7% of the 8,495 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Dakota
  1. #360Kory568
  2. #360Roderick568
  3. #362Kody560
  4. #363Dakota554
  5. #364Emanuel552
  6. #364Heath552
  7. #364Jarred552
Biggest movers since 1987
Risers
  1. ↑ 3,252Nico#4,239 → #987
  2. ↑ 1,245Ridge#2,215 → #970
  3. ↑ 668Colten#1,484 → #816
  4. ↑ 600Brantley#1,587 → #987
  5. ↑ 518Long#1,337 → #819
Fallers
  1. ↓ 362Cordaro#908 → #1,270
  2. ↓ 246Ramsey#884 → #1,130
  3. ↓ 241Yaakov#974 → #1,215
  4. ↓ 233Adrain#990 → #1,223
  5. ↓ 230Kiel#846 → #1,076

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

See the top 100 for 1988 →