Declining since 1988, #6,546 for girls today.
Popularity of Dayna since 1937
Babies named Dayna per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1988, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Dayna's real moment was 1979.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1930s | 13 |
| 1940s | 192 |
| 1950s | 956 |
| 1960s | 2,323 |
| 1970s | 2,662 |
| 1980s | 3,302 |
| 1990s | 2,641 |
| 2000s | 1,654 |
| 2010s | 556 |
| 2020s | 161 |
Meaning & origin
Dayna is a modern feminine name that emerged as a spelling variant of Dana, which has roots in both Hebrew and Old English. The name first appeared on U.S. birth records in 1937 and gained modest popularity through the 1970s, reaching its peak rank in 1979. Since 1988, its usage has been steadily declining. As of 2025, Dayna sits at rank 6546, with only about 1 in 94,545 newborns receiving the name, reflecting its current rarity. The 'y' substitution in Dayna reflects a broader mid-20th-century trend of creating distinctive spellings for familiar names, giving it a slightly more modern or feminine feel compared to the original Dana.
Dayna is a modern spelling variant of Dana, which has multiple possible origins. Dana may derive from the Hebrew name Dan, meaning 'God is my judge', or from the Old English word Dene, meaning 'Dane' or 'from Denmark'. The spelling Dayna emerged in the mid-20th century as part of a trend of altering traditional names with 'y' substitutions.
Where Dayna is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Dayna” around the world
Where Dayna lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
80
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Day, Dede
Sibling names for Dayna
Names that share Dayna's style, for a brother or sister.
