Dara
81% girls · 19% boys
About Dara
Though Dara was an (extremely wise) male figure in the Bible, this name feels mostly feminine to modern Americans. The Irish Gaelic version, Darragh, is well-used in contemporary times for boys.
Dara for girls#1129 US
While Dara dropped out of the Top 1000 a couple of decades ago, it's one of those magic names that feels neither fashionable nor unfashionable. This timeless quality can be an advantage for a child over time. And Dara has the cross-cultural thing going for it as well. It's also a Slavic name, meaning "gift".
The cousin-name Daria was featured a few seasons ago as the smart and cynical star of her own eponymous animated MTV show.
Dara for boys#2686 US
Though Dara in the U.S. would be considered mainly a girls' name – the most recent count is 10 times as many girls given the name last year than boys – it's a boys' name in Ireland, where it's in the Top 100 along with variations Daire and Darragh.
Dara is also a boys' name in many non-Western cultures, meaning "leader" in Punjabi, "star" in Khmer, and "wealthy" in Persian. And Dara is a male character -- an elf ally of Princess Ciri -- in the popular book, video game and TV series The Witcher.
Pronounced DAR-uh.
As of October 2026, Dara ranked #1129 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #470 in 1981, Nameberry popularity #865.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #2,447 | 74 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #2,721 | 65 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #2,523 | 71 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #1,854 | 110 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #1,171 | 206 | #4,782 | 20 |
| 2019 | #1,094 | 227 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #1,328 | 166 | #3,664 | 29 |
| 2021 | #1,587 | 132 | #3,374 | 34 |
| 2022 | #1,480 | 148 | #3,166 | 38 |
| 2023 | #1,866 | 107 | #3,807 | 29 |
| 2024 | #1,026 | 244 | #3,525 | 32 |
| 2025 | #1,129 | 207 | #2,686 | 48 |
World rankings
Dara for girls
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Dara on lists
Famous Daras
- Dara Grace TorresGirl
American Olympic swimmer
- Dara Bubamara (born Radojka Kesić)Girl
Serbian singer
- Sandara 'Dara' ParkGirl
Korean pop singer of the group 2NE1
- Dara Joy MacleanGirl
American Christian singer
- Dara Terzić ŠterićGirl
Serbian gymnast
- Dara BrownGirl
American actress and news anchor
- Dara SedakaGirl
American singer, daughter of musician Neil Sedaka
- Darina 'Dara' YotovaGirl
Bulgarian singer and songwriter
- DaraBoy
grandson of Judah, great,grandson of Israel (1 Chr. 2:6)
- Dara O BriainBoy
an Irish comedian and TV presenter
- Olu Dara JonesBoy
American musician, father of rapper Nas
- Nasir "Nas" bin Olu Dara JonesBoy
American rapper
Dara in pop culture
- DaraGirl
Merlin's mother in the "Chronicles of Amber"
- Dara Jacqueline WarrenGirl
character in novel "Vanishing Girls"