Dana

Dana is a name with multiple independent origins. In English-speaking countries it developed as both a masculine and feminine given name, likely derived as a transferred use of the surname Dana, itself of uncertain origin, possibly connected to Old English or Scandinavian roots related to the Danes. In Irish tradition, Dana or Danu is associated with the ancient mother goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the mythological divine race of early Ireland, giving the name a deeply archaic Celtic resonance. Related forms and variants include Dana, Dana used in several Slavic languages as a short form of names containing the Slavic element dan meaning day, as well as Dane, Danna, and Danica.