Dagney
A girl's name of Old Norse origin with 57 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
At 6 letters and two syllables, Dagney hits the middle ground most parents look for: long enough to feel complete, short enough for everyday use. It has been used as a girl's name in the U.S. since 1907, with 57 total recorded births.
Dagney is not in the current top 1,000, which means your child is unlikely to share the name with a classmate — a plus for parents who value distinctiveness.
Dagney is not in the current top 1,000 girl names nationally, making it an uncommon choice — though your state or community may differ.
Dagney is a girl's baby name of Old Norse origin, a variant of Dagny, meaning 'new day' or 'day's freshness' — from dagr (day) and nýr (new). Dagny was a common Norse name; Ayn Rand's heroine Dagny Taggart in Atlas Shrugged (1957) gave it an American literary identity.
Crisp and Nordic, Dagney feels like morning light — clean, purposeful, and full of possibility.
EtymologyShow more
The ending of a name often carries more etymological information than the beginning. Dagney's final sounds are bright, approachable — giving the name a friendly, informal feel. In English-language naming, many feminine names end on open vowels or soft consonants, creating a melodic, approachable quality. Dagney follows that feminine pattern.
Explore the ending-based name pages on this site to find names that share Dagney's suffix pattern — names with similar endings often share a style and era, even when they come from different linguistic backgrounds.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Dagney has 10+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1907.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 7 | #12434 | ▲ |
| 2010s | 6 | #14746 | ▲ |
| 1990s | 5 | #14233 | — |
| 1920s | 5 | #5145 | ▼ |
| 1910s | 29 | #3948 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 5 | #2138 | — |
The Story of Dagney
A Greatest Generation name
Peaking in 1918, Dagney is a name steeped in history. Girls named Dagney are most likely born between 1908 and 1928.
How rare is Dagney?
With fewer than 500 recorded births, Dagney is an exceptionally rare name — a one-of-a-kind choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1907, peaked in the 1910s with 29 births that decade, and has gracefully settled into a quieter chapter.
Dagney by the numbers
- Would fill 1 school bus
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(10 years, 1907–2020)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 7 | #12434 |
| 2016 | 6 | #14746 |
| 1997 | 5 | #14233 |
| 1920 | 5 | #5145 |
| 1919 | 5 | #4972 |
| 1918 | 8 | #3575 |
| 1917 | 6 | #4205 |
| 1915 | 5 | #4432 |
| 1911 | 5 | #2556 |
| 1907 | 5 | #2138 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dagney a boy's or girl's name?
When was Dagney most popular?
How popular is the name Dagney?
Explore More
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1907–2020