Unisex name · Sioux
Dakota
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: friend, allyDakota is a gender-neutral name that comes from Sioux and means "friend, ally". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Friend, ally
- Origin
- Sioux
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #296 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Dakota
As a gender-neutral name, Dakota comes from Sioux and means "friend, ally". It is used in English.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Dakota on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Dakota on 2 lists.
“Sioux for friend, ally; plains-born and open”
From Cowboy names, cowgirl names
“Friend, ally; the name of a Sioux people, so some families prefer to ask before using it”
From Gender neutral names, popular gender-neutral names
How popular is Dakota?
In 2025, 1,035 girls and 1,074 boys in the US were named Dakota.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #296
- 1,035 babies, 644 per million girls
- Best rank
- #190 in 2006
- 1,839 babies that year
- Babies since 1915
- At least 41,458
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 1 per million |
| 1920s | 1 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 2 per million |
| 1960s | 3 per million |
| 1970s | 7 per million |
| 1980s | 33 per million |
| 1990s | 508 per million |
| 2000s | 671 per million |
| 2010s | 697 per million |
| 2020s | 713 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #227 | #231 | #246 | #259 | #257 | #270 | #259 | #262 | #273 | #296 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #319
- 1,074 babies, 629 per million boys
- Best rank
- #56 in 1995
- 6,575 babies that year
- Babies since 1966
- At least 93,118
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 1 per million |
| 1970s | 11 per million |
| 1980s | 133 per million |
| 1990s | 2,395 per million |
| 2000s | 1,412 per million |
| 2010s | 514 per million |
| 2020s | 576 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #376 | #340 | #349 | #344 | #346 | #340 | #347 | #328 | #326 | #319 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Dakota
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- DorotaGift of God (Greek, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- OscarPossibly deer friend (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- BaldwinBold friend (Germanic, boy)
- BellamyBeautiful friend (Old French, unisex)
- CaraFriend in Irish; beloved in Italian (Irish and Italian, girl)
- KhalilFriend, companion (Arabic, boy)
- RuthFriend (Hebrew, girl)
- AldenOld friend (Old English, boy)
- AlvinElf friend (Old English, boy)
- AmitFriend (Hebrew, unisex)
- AudenFrom Ealdwine, old friend, or Norse Hálfdan (Old English, unisex)
- AudunWealth and friend (Old Norse, boy)
- EdvinRich friend (Old English, boy)
- EdwinRich friend (Old English, boy)
- ElvinElf friend (Old English, boy)
- EnyinnayaHis father's friend (Igbo, boy)
Middle names for Dakota
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
Dakota: common questions
What does the name Dakota mean?
Dakota comes from Sioux and means "friend, ally".
Is Dakota a boy or girl name?
Dakota is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 1,035 girls and 1,074 boys in the US were named Dakota, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Dakota come from?
Dakota comes from Sioux and means "friend, ally". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Dakota?
Dakota ranked #296 in the US in 2025, with 1,035 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Dakota?
Names spelled like Dakota include Dorota.
What middle names go with Dakota?
Middle names that flow well with Dakota include Aoife, Eve, Iris, June and Luke. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.