# Anyone in US named Dakota? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 30, 2023, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362 "2023-08-30T20:59:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jagraze1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jagraze1/32/14870_2.png) [@Jagraze1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jagraze1)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/1 "2023-08-30T20:59:35Z")
Listen guys! I’m having a hard time finding a person named “Dakota”. I know it’s claimed that it’s been gaining popularity recently but is it really. I have lived in USA for 8 years and have not met a single guy named “Dakota”. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/2 "2023-08-30T21:00:58Z")
I work with a woman named Dakota. She’s in her late 30s if I had to guess. African American. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/3 "2023-08-30T21:01:08Z")
It’s mostly a girl’s name, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/4 "2023-08-30T21:01:11Z")
I don’t think it’s typically regarded as a guy’s name. > **[Dakota Fanning](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakota_Fanning)** > > Hannah Dakota Fanning (born February 23, 1994) is an American actress. She rose to prominence at the age of seven for her performance as Lucy Dawson in the drama film I Am Sam (2001), for which she received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination at the age of eight, making her the youngest nominee in SAG history. Fanning played major roles as a child actress in the films Uptown Girls (2003), The Cat in the Hat (2003), Man on Fire (2004), War of the Worlds (2005), Dreamer (2005), Hide and Se Fan... ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/5 "2023-08-30T21:03:01Z")
There’s a few guys: > [@](#): > > Dakota Abberton, Australian surfer > Dakota Allen (born 1995), American football player > Dakota Beavers (born 2000), American actor > Dakota Darsow (born 1987), American professional wrestler > Dakota Daulby (born 1994), Canadian actor > Dakota Fanning (born 1994), American actress > Dakota Floeter (born 1994), American actor and musician > Dakota Goyo (born 1999), Canadian actor > Dakota Johnson (born 1989), American model and actress > Dakota Kai (born 1988), New Zealander professional wrestler > Dakota Lane (born 1959), American author > Dakota Meyer, United States Marine and Medal of Honor recipient > Dakota Morton (born 1988), Canadian radio host > Dakota North (speedway rider) (born 1991), Australian speedway rider > Dakota Rose (born 1995), Japan-based American model > Dakota Blue Richards (born 1994), English actress > Dakota Staton (1930–2007), American jazz singer > Rayne Dakota (Dak) Prescott (born 1993), American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys > **[Dakota (given name)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakota_(given_name))** > > Dakota is a unisex given name derived from the name of the indigenous Native American Dakota people, or from the name of two states in the United States, North Dakota and South Dakota, which are also derived from the Dakota people local to that area. The name is translated to mean "friend", "friendly" or "allies" in the Yankton-Yanktonai and Santee dialects of the Dakota language. > The name has been in occasional use for both sexes in the United States since at least the 1940s and is currently u... ---
**Author:** ![Jagraze1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jagraze1/32/14870_2.png) [@Jagraze1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jagraze1)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/6 "2023-08-30T21:05:17Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > Dakota Kai Dakota 海 is a famous wreslter ---
**Author:** ![Jagraze1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jagraze1/32/14870_2.png) [@Jagraze1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jagraze1)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/7 "2023-08-30T21:05:38Z")
Yes!! ---
**Author:** ![Jagraze1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jagraze1/32/14870_2.png) [@Jagraze1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jagraze1)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/8 "2023-08-30T21:06:15Z")
Edit: By any chance are people just gaslightling me into the name getting popular ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/9 "2023-08-30T21:09:34Z")
My daughters boyfriend is a Dakoda. Spelled like that. You know there are 2 states named Dakota? And it’s an Indian tribe. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/10 "2023-08-30T21:10:49Z")
Oh ninja’d ---
**Author:** ![Jagraze1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jagraze1/32/14870_2.png) [@Jagraze1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jagraze1)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/11 "2023-08-30T21:11:26Z")
Dakoda is probably an even rarer spelling. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/12 "2023-08-30T21:11:39Z")
Billy J Kramer worked with a few Dakotas ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/13 "2023-08-30T21:11:44Z")
Here’s a baby name popularity graph: [![](https://i.imgur.com/d9AX8kZ.png) ](https://i.imgur.com/d9AX8kZ.png) > **[NameGrapher](https://namerology.com/baby-name-grapher/)** > > Explore the historical popularity of United States baby names Start typing in the lefthand text box and the graph will update. Click the option buttons for different types of results.Tips: Be sure to check out both the “total” and “compare” views,... ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/14 "2023-08-30T21:12:18Z")
I think his Mom just couldn’t spell right. 😊 ---
**Author:** ![Jagraze1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jagraze1/32/14870_2.png) [@Jagraze1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jagraze1)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/15 "2023-08-30T21:14:24Z")
Ok so it first peaked up and then faced a sharp declined and increased again and then steadily declined again ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/16 "2023-08-30T21:14:52Z")
And then there’s [Fargo North, Decoder](https://youtu.be/H_xjAEWMVH0). ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/17 "2023-08-30T21:16:49Z")
> [@Jagraze1](#): > > Ok so it first peaked up and then faced a sharp decline I remember around the time of the peak in the '90s, there was a Sunday school class in our church with two Dakotas (north and south?). ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/18 "2023-08-30T21:20:59Z")
I think the son, maybe grandson, on _Dog the Bounty Hunter_ is named Dakota. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/19 "2023-08-30T21:21:14Z")
There’s a regular customer at my current job named Dakota. She’s a she. I have never encountered a man by the name of Dakota. To our O.P. … Generally speaking, names ending in “a” are considered feminine. (Bonus: names ending in “o” are usually masculine.) There are many exceptions, of course, and this rule o’thumb mostly applies to Western and especially European names. Doubly so for “saint” names. … which makes me wonder if there’s a “Dakoto” wandering around out there. > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I think his Mom just couldn’t spell right. I used to take ballet lessons with a lovely girl named Orpah. Mom was going for “Oprah” but apparently she got the _good_ drugs during labor … ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362/20 "2023-08-30T21:26:21Z")
> [@Jagraze1](#): > > I know it’s claimed that it’s been gaining popularity recently but is it really. I have lived in USA for 8 years and have not met a single **guy** named “Dakota”. (Bolding mine.) Genuine question, now that I re-read both your O.P. and my answer, along with a few others: … do girls count? I’m being serious: I can’t tell if the O.P. is asking about “Dakota” growing in popularity as specifically a male name, or not, and is asking about the popularity of the name in general, regardless of gender. > [@hogarth](#): > > Sunday school class in our church with two Dakotas (north and south?). There is no WAY I wouldn’t nickname them “North” and “South.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-in-us-named-dakota/989362.md?page=2)