Dana
An old Celtic surname often explained as meaning “bold” or “daring,” though some bearers may also reflect other local or patronymic origins.
The #6,008 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 53,948 Americans shares it.
Etymology
A 19th-century explanation connects Dana with Gaelic/Celtic words meaning bold, daring, or intrepid. In that tradition, it would have begun as a nickname for a brave person, or as a title-like name for a chosen successor or leader. The name may also overlap with other surnames of similar shape in different languages, so not every modern Dana necessarily comes from the same source.
History
The surname is recorded in Britain and Ireland in early modern and later sources, but the old etymologies are not always consistent. Some writers treated Dana as a distinctly Celtic name, while others noted similar forms among English and Continental bearers, suggesting more than one line of origin may exist. In the United States it is a fairly uncommon surname today.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One older surname dictionary specifically glossed Dana as “bold, daring,” which is why it is sometimes grouped with names of heroic or royal associations.
From the historical record
“DAN. (Gaelic.) Bold, daring, intrepid. DANA. (Celtic.) From Dana, bold, daring. The chosen successor of a king, among the Celts, was so called ; a poet DANFORTH or DANFOKD. Local A place in England; the way or ford of the Danes. DANGAN. (Celtic.) Strong, secure. DANGER. A corruption of D'Angier, that is, from…”
— An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian NamesNotable people named Dana
- James Dwight Dana (1813–1895)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.