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Name Biscuit

Unisex name

Dakota

Dakota ranks #162 out of 55,875 dog names in our data (the #1 dog name is Bella). Across all 16 places, 501 dogs carry the name. It's also a cat name: #331 among girl cat names.
Dakota's popularity trend

Dakota's share of dogs, year by year — or toggle to its yearly rank. Peak year by share: 2008.

0.2%0.4%200720112015201920232025
Dogs in our data
501
across 16 places
Popularity rank
#162
of 55,875 dog names
5-year rank move
−36
2020 → 2025
Gender split
59% girls
59% girls41% boys
What does Dakota mean?
/dəˈkəʊtə/3 syllablesOrigin: place-name transfer

Dakota comes from the Dakhóta (Sioux) word meaning "friend" or "ally," the name the Dakota people use for themselves. It later became a place name for the Dakota Territory and the states that followed, and from there passed into use as a given name.

Dakota has a wide-open, all-American sound — sturdy and outdoorsy. It suits an adventurous pet who feels most at home on long walks and open trails.

Etymology & pronunciation from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Where Dakota shows up

Dakota's share of each place's counted dogs. Places count differently — hover a Share figure for the basis. Click a heading to sort.

TorontoCanada0.2%
Allegheny CountyUnited States of America0.2%
PlayfordAustralia0.2%
ProspectAustralia0.1%
Maple RidgeCanada0.1%
WorcesterUnited States of America0.1%
New York CityUnited States of America0.1%
CambridgeUnited States of America0.1%
Port Adelaide EnfieldAustralia0.1%
Noosa ShireAustralia0.0%
SeattleUnited States of America0.0%
Surf Coast ShireAustralia0.0%
BurnsideAustralia0.0%
DarwinAustralia0.0%
Basel-StadtSwitzerland0.0%
ZürichSwitzerland0.0%

Names like Dakota

DakodaKotaLakotaDekotaCarlotaIota

Dakota appears on

Western Dog Names