Dana (given name)

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Dana
Pronunciation UK: /ˈdɑːnə/ DAHN-ə
US: /ˈdeɪnə/ DAYN-ə
Gender Unisex
Origin
Word/nameMultiple
MeaningPearl, wise, arbiter, God is my judge, generous, Dane, short for Bogdana, Yordana or Daniela
Region of originGlobal
Other names
Related names Dena

Dana is a unisex given name. It was among the 100 most popular names given to girls born in the United States between 1960 and 1990. It has since fallen in popularity and was ranked the 446th most popular name given to girls born in the United States in 2007. [1] As a male forename it is well-known in the United States, being in the 314th rank out of 1,219 in the 1990 U.S. Census.

Contents

Derivations

The name has multiple derivations. Dana or Danah, in Arabic, means 'the most perfectly sized, valuable and beautiful pearl'. [2] This name is used by Arab states of the Persian Gulf (Eastern Arabia), due to their traditional pearl diving professions wherein they gave different type of pearls names. In Persian, the word Dānā literally means 'wise', and some speculate that the name is first used as a first name in Shahnameh . [3] The name is used in Persian for both female and male sexes.

It is also occasionally regarded as a feminine version of Daniel or a short version of feminine names such as Bogdana or Yordana. In Hebrew, the name Dana is the feminine form of Dan, and means 'arbiter' or 'God is my judge'. In Romanian and Czech, it is a feminine name, derived from the name Daniela; the masculine form being Dan/Daniel.[ citation needed ]

Pronunciation

The name Dana has multiple pronunciations around the world, therefore multiple regions may have different pronunciations. [4] [5] [6]

People with the name

Female

Male

Disambiguation

Fictional characters with the name

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Dana: Popularity for Dana in the United States" . Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  2. ↑ "دانة" [Danah] (in Arabic). WebTeb. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  3. ↑ "Abstractions". Persian Online. The University of Texas at Austin. 2007. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  4. ↑ فـورڤو, فريق عمل. "نٌطق Dana : كيف تنطق Dana فى الرومانية, الإنجليزية, البولندية, الألمانية, السلوفاكية, التركية القديمة, السلوفانية, الجاوية, المجرية, الأيرلندية, الأذربيجانية, الإندونيسية, التشيكية, التركية, السبرانتوية". Forvo.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  5. ↑ Jones, Daniel (2011). Roach, Peter; Setter, Jane; Esling, John (eds.). Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary (18th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 124. ISBN   978-0-521-15255-6.
  6. ↑ Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Longman. p. 208. ISBN   978-1-4058-8118-0.
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