Declining since 2018, #6,803 for boys today.
Popularity of Dak since 1971
Babies named Dak per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 32 |
| 1980s | 20 |
| 1990s | 5 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 101 |
| 2020s | 80 |
Meaning & origin
Dak is a rare American given name, first recorded in 1971. It is most likely a clipped form of Dakota, which itself comes from the name of the Dakota Sioux people, meaning 'friend' or 'ally' in their language. Alternatively, it may be a variant of the English surname Dack, of uncertain origin. As a standalone name, Dak remains uncommon. Its peak popularity occurred in 2017, and it has been on a downward trend since 2018. In 2025, it ranked 6,803rd nationally, with approximately 1 in 142,340 boys receiving the name. No state recorded a particular concentration of Daks, indicating its distribution is sparse across the country. Despite its rarity, Dak fits a modern trend of short, punchy, one-syllable names for boys.
Dak is a modern American name, likely a clipped form of Dakota, which is derived from the name of the Dakota people, a Native American tribe. It may also be a variant of Dack, an English surname with uncertain meaning. As a given name, Dak gained some use in the late 20th century, possibly influenced by the popularity of similar-sounding names and the nickname potential of longer names like Dakota or Dacre.
Nicknames & variants
Variants: Dack
Sibling names for Dak
Names that share Dak's style, for a brother or sister.
