Gender Masculine & Feminine
Pronounced Pron. də-KO-tə  [key·IPA]

Meaning & History

From the name of the Native American people of the northern Mississippi Valley, or from the two American states that were named for them: North and South Dakota (until 1889 unified as the Dakota Territory). The tribal name means "allies, friends" in the Dakota language.

It was rare as an American given name before 1975. In the mid-1980s it began growing in popularity for boys, and it peaked ranked 56th in 1995. It is now more common as a feminine name, probably due to the fame of the actress Dakota Fanning (1994-).

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Entry updated January 21, 2022