# Dana (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/dana/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

An American surname.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 5,723 |
| US rank (2010) | 6,008 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 53,948 people |
| Change since 2000 | +7.3% (5,335 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪ.nə/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

Of uncertain origin. Possibly from Dawnay, or else an altered form of Dan or Daniel.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Dana in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 80% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 1.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.8% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 8.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 2.5% |
| Two or more races | 2.1% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Dana in the United States.

## People named Dana

- James Dwight Dana, American mineralogist, scientist and zoologist (1813-1895)
- Richard Henry Dana, American author and lawyer (1815–1882)
- Viola Dana, actress (1897-1987)
- Leora Dana, American actress (1923–1983)
- Frances Theodora Dana, American botanist, naturalist and writer (1861 – 1952)
- Charles Anderson Dana, American journalist and government official (1819–1897)
- Paul Dana, American racing driver (1975–2006)
- Bill Dana, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (1924–2017)
- John Cotton Dana, American librarian and museum director (1856-1929)
- Muriel Frances Dana, American actress (1916-1997)
- Samuel W. Dana, American jurist, politician and judge (1760–1830)
- Vic Dana, American singer and dancer

and 1 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Dean, Doan, Danna, Dann, Dane, Diana, Dan, Duan, Dawn, Dahn, Dena, Dain.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.