Meaning & Origin
An American surname.
Dana is a girl's and boy's baby name of uncertain origin — it may be an Americanized form of the Irish and Scottish Dána, or a short form of Daniel/Danielle, or from the Hebrew meaning "to judge." Dana has been used as both a male and female name throughout its history.
Dana peaked in the U.S. top 40 girls' names in the late 1960s and 1970s. Dana Carvey and Dana White represent its male usage; Dana Delany and Dana Scully (from The X-Files) its female side. It's a genuinely gender-fluid name — short, complete, and quietly confident in whatever form it takes.