Dana (given name)

Dana is a given name used for both females and males. It was among the 100 most popular names given to girls born in the United States between 1960 and 1990. It has since fallen in popularity and was ranked the 446th most popular name given to girls born in the United States in 2007. As a male forename it is well known in the United States, being in the 314th rank out of 1,219 in the 1990 U.S. Census.
The name has multiple derivations. It may come from "Dane" (from Denmark), the meaning of the common surname. It is also occasionally regarded as a feminine version of Daniel or a short version of feminine names such as Bogdana or Yordana. Dana is also an alternate spelling of the name for Danu, a Celtic fertility goddess. In Persian, the word literally means "knowledgeable", and some speculate that the name is first used as a first name in Shahnameh. The name is used in Persian for both female and male sexes. Dana or Danah, in Arabic, means "the most...