Fun Facts About the Name Dathan
- More than 1 thousand babies named Dathan: U.S. records list 1,569 babies given the name Dathan from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Dathan Mean?
Dathan is a masculine name of biblical Hebrew origin. Its meaning is uncertain. Older Bible-name glossaries often linked it to the Hebrew word דָּת (dat), "decree" or "law," yielding a sense such as "of the law" or "lawgiver," but that derivation is not securely established, and the name may instead preserve an older root that is no longer recoverable. The Hebrew form of the name is דָּתָן (Datan). It has no established independent origin in another language, so there is no second meaning to set beside the Hebrew one.
Dathan Name History & Origins
Dathan comes into English through the Bible. In the book of Numbers, Dathan son of Eliab, of the tribe of Reuben, joins his brother Abiram and Korah the Levite in a revolt against the authority of Moses and Aaron; the account says the earth opened and swallowed them (Numbers 16). The same event and the same man are referred to later in the Hebrew Bible (Numbers 26:9; Deuteronomy 11:6; Psalm 106:17). The Greek Septuagint renders the name Δαθάν and the Latin Vulgate has Dathan, forms that carried it into European Bible translations, including the King James Version.
As a given name, Dathan has been uncommon in English-speaking countries, appearing occasionally among Protestant families who chose names from the Old Testament. It is familiar to modern audiences as the name of the scheming character in Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 film The Ten Commandments, played by Edward G. Robinson. That is a well-known screen use of the name, not its source or earliest appearance.
How Popular is the Name Dathan?
Dathan has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2005. Its best rank was #1,197 in 1975.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,961 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #8,441 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #8,398 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2022 | #12,760 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #7,726 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2020 | #6,720 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2019 | #5,205 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2018 | #8,306 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #6,111 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2016 | #4,503 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2015 | #6,761 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2014 | #4,921 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2013 | #4,356 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2012 | #3,246 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 2011 | #3,008 | 38 | 0.0020% |
| 2010 | #3,326 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2009 | #2,713 | 45 | 0.0023% |
| 2008 | #3,065 | 38 | 0.0019% |
| 2007 | #2,729 | 44 | 0.0021% |
| 2006 | #2,627 | 45 | 0.0022% |
| 2005 | #2,247 | 53 | 0.0027% |
| 2004 | #3,894 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2003 | #2,320 | 46 | 0.0023% |
| 2002 | #2,565 | 38 | 0.0020% |
| 2001 | #2,162 | 48 | 0.0025% |
| 2000 | #2,440 | 39 | 0.0020% |
| 1999 | #2,237 | 41 | 0.0021% |
| 1998 | #2,466 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 1997 | #2,691 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 1996 | #2,942 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1995 | #2,941 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1994 | #2,963 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1993 | #2,884 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1992 | #2,858 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1991 | #3,241 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1990 | #2,449 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 1989 | #2,257 | 30 | 0.0015% |
| 1988 | #3,560 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1987 | #2,226 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1986 | #2,805 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1985 | #1,923 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1984 | #2,180 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1983 | #3,103 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1982 | #2,068 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1981 | #1,641 | 36 | 0.0020% |
| 1980 | #1,816 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1979 | #1,275 | 52 | 0.0030% |
| 1978 | #2,143 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1977 | #1,456 | 40 | 0.0024% |
| 1976 | #1,789 | 28 | 0.0018% |
| 1975 | #1,197 | 50 | 0.0032% |
| 1974 | #1,503 | 34 | 0.0022% |
| 1973 | #1,704 | 27 | 0.0017% |
| 1972 | #3,700 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1970 | #3,584 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1969 | #2,733 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1968 | #4,265 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1967 | #4,088 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1966 | #2,507 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1965 | #2,506 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1963 | #4,186 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1962 | #3,723 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #3,426 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #2,725 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1959 | #3,347 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #2,878 | 9 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Dathan Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are strong in material matters, determined and stubborn. You have good business ability. You are a good worker, steady and practical, a builder who takes responsibility well. These qualities may bring you a position of authority and power. You are a doer, down-to-earth, serious-minded, reliable, and self-disciplined; have good power of concentration. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Dathan's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Dathan's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.