If I, as a British person with no connection to the USA, named my daughter

[helloagainhowareyou]

Dana (pronounced day-na) would you think it was weird?

I love the name but I've never met or heard of a British person with the name before. All the fictional characters named Dana that I can think of off the top of my head are all American and the only two Dana's I've met in real life were both American.

I mentioned the name as a possibility to my mum and she looked at me like this . A friend who I told also seemed to raise her eyebrows slightly.

Is it really that out there or weird?

I like it. I would pronounce it Day-na like the name of the sister in According to Jim which I used to watch

I'd think it was Irish and pronounce it Dar-na.

I don't dislike it but don't particularly like it either. I think you will spend a lot of time correcting the pronunciation of it

I would pronounce it like Dann-a, not Dar-na. I have heard it Day-na as well. I prefer it on a boy.

Day-na as in Scully - nowt wrong with that

There was also a Dana Ashbrook.in Twin Peaks, he played Fitty McHotassBobby, think he pronounces it dan-a (short like Donna).

I think it's a nice name for either sex and wouldn't necessarily think you were from aross the pond.

^ crossout fail! Am on new mobile site

'older people will think Dar-na'

actually, people in their prime will think Dar-na

I went to school with a Dana, pronounced Daa na or Dah na

I knew two girls called Dana when I was at school. I think it's a lovely name and not specifically American. :)

I'd call them Dar-na, my little sister is a Dana (pronounced Dar-na). I'd assume Persian or Irish heritage with the associated pronounciation before Day-na.

My friend named Day-na was spelt Dayna.

Dana \d(a)-na\ as a girl's name (also used as boy's name Dana), is pronounced DAY-nah. It is of Old English origin, and the meaning of Dana is "from Denmark". A surname also used as a variant of Daniel. Actress Dana Delany.
Read more at www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Dana#e1VL0iZz6fvHiOyq.99

I knowing it means " from Denmark" (and being Danish) would not actually think it as American.

I have never heard it said " daR na" only Day - nah or Dann ah

As it is it will be pronounced however you pick it.

I like it a lot as a name but being from Denmark myself I would never have used it for a dd.. but oh is pretty.

"Dana \d(a)-na\ as a girl's name (also used as boy's name Dana), is pronounced DAY-nah."

In the US, but more usually Daa-na in the UK I think. I like the name, but it is obvious from the posts on here you will have to either correct people's pronunciation or spelling all the time.

Tbh I prefer how Dayna looks to Dana. Could you just spell it Dayna? That way it's always going to be pronounced right.

I think it's lovely.

As someone in her 50s my automatic pronunciation would be Darna as I remember the singer and also we have Irish family

But anyone who watched Homeland or X files would easily go with Dayna too!

There are two or maybe three different origins for the name Dana.

1. As earlier OP said, one is indeed the surname Dana (Day-nah). It belonged to a famous American lawyer and is used mainly in the USA. For boys and girls.

1. Quite separately, in many parts of Europe Dana (Dah-nuh) is used as a girl's name, the female for of Daniel OR as a short form of names such as 'Bogdana'.

1. In Ireland, the Dana (Darh-nah) may have origins in the name of an ancient Celtic goddess, Danu.

I no of two British Dana's (pronounced day-na) both in their twenties.

I wouldn't think your mad :)

The Irish Eurovision-winning Dana was a stage name though. Her given name is Rosemary ; she ran for Irish President couple of years back on an ultra-conservative ticket. Don't know any other Irish Danas.

The only other Dana I remember is from the X Files of which I was a massive fan.

Earlier posters have mentioned Irish people called Dana, I think.

Republic of Ireland baby statistics have not been collected analytically for long, so can't do a check.
Helpful website here: www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/ibn/irishbabiesnames2013/#.U_hT5KOaRdg

I used to love the show Step by Step (with Patrick Duffy) and one of the daughters was called Dana (pronounced Day-na) and I have always loved the name so I'd use it

No, names from popular culture often enter the baby name lists. Dana is in Homeland and so may get picked up and used here more. Apparently there are a few Donalds now as a result of Mad Men!

yummy very true, I've always loved Arya, it's been on my list of baby names since I was a teen (future fantasies and what-not!) and it was a relatively unpopular name, now it's extremely popular thanks to Game of Thrones!

Wouldn't think you were mad, but I would think it was a horrible name. Sorry!

If you want it pronounced Dayna, maybe you could spell it Dayna? I think that's prettier than Dana and will get around the whole UK pronunciation and male/female thing. I like the idea of a name with 'Day' in it and it's a cute nickname!

Love this name. It would have been on my short list if I was having a girl. If you like it then go for it :-)

I don't think American, I think Irish singer popular in 1970s.

My best friend is Dana said like it looks. She's 29 so it is about! dd2 goes to school with one too, said the same way