Long overlooked, the baby name Dinahcould be a great alternative to some of today’s favorites.
Our Baby Name of the Day was inspired by this list of 1895 baby names. Thanks to Nessa for making the original suggestion!
WHAT DOES THE NAME DINAH MEAN?
The Book of Genesis tells us that the Biblical Dinah, daughter of Jacob and Leah, was raped by a prince of Shechem. She’s Jacob’s only daughter. Dinah’s brothers retaliated with force.
The name comes from a Hebrew word meaning judged, judgment, or perhaps vindicated.
Anita Diamant’s 1997 bestseller The Red Tent imagines an intelligent, capable figure and a very different interpretation. In her story, Dinah and the prince are in love, and choose to marry.
Her brothers, Simeon and Levi, go on a rampage anyway. Dinah leaves her family behind, though her story is remembered by her female descendants.
DINAH AS A GIVEN NAME
Like many a girl’s name from the Bible, it first caught on during the Protestant Reformation.
By the nineteenth century in the US, it became a generic term to refer to all enslaved women. Sojourner Truth used it in an 1850 speech. The New York Times referred to freed slaves by the name in an 1865 article. An 1867 painting by Eastman Johnson depicts such a woman, titled Dinah.
The song “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” dates to the 1890s, complete with pleas for Dinah to blow her horn. Some lyrics are even older, dating to the 1830s. The name seems to be a generic term for an African American woman, at least in the earliest versions of the song.
Fast forward to 1923, though, and the name’s image had started to shift. The Broadway musical Kid Boots – and the movie version it inspired – struck gold with the song “Dinah,” a jazz standard that you’d probably recognize today. Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, and Dean Martin were among the many to cover the tune.
1940s FAVORITE
Another young singer, named Frances Shore, performed the song in the late 1930s.
Early, influential disc jockey Martin Block couldn’t remember her name. He called her that “Dinah girl” for the song she performed.
And so Frances rose to fame as singer Dinah Shore.
The Philadelphia Story debuted on Broadway in 1939, and was adapted for the movies a year later. The 1940 film starred Katharine Hepburn as headstrong socialite Tracy.
She had a younger sister, who introduces herself as Dinah, noting that she was born Diana, “… but my sister changed it.”
The singer deserves credit for the name’s dramatic rise during the 1940s. But I think the Diana-to-Dinah switch in the movie underscores how very fashionable the name became.
Over a long career, Shore hosted two television shows, the first in the 1950s, and another in the 1970s.
Other uses of the baby name Dinah include:
- Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and celebrated 1950s singer Dinah Washington – born Ruth.
- Dinah Morris is a major character in the George Eliot novel Adam Bede from 1859.
- DC comics gave the name Dinah Lance to early super heroine Black Canary, who debuted in 1947.
- A short-lived 1970s fashion doll was called Dinah-Mite.
It’s also the name of Alice’s cat in Alice in Wonderland, and it’s been heard on CBS soap opera Guiding Light.
Dina – hold the ‘h’ – is more likely to sound like Deena, though it might be another spelling of this name, too.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME DINAH?
From the late nineteenth century, when popularity data was first reported, into the early 1900s, the baby name Dinah was consistently used in small numbers. Sometimes it was enough to rank in the US Top 1000, but not always – and only on the fringes.
Beginning in 1941 through 1966, Dinah ranked in the US Top 1000 every year, peaking in 1955.
That coincides with Dinah Shore’s early career success, and suggests some combination of the song and the singer pushed the baby name Dinah up the rankings.
Other similar names include:
- Diana and Diane, from the Roman goddess of the moon.
- Dena and Deanna, which might be related to Dean, or possibly inspired by another singer – Canada’s Deanna Durbin, born Edna.
- The rare Dinorah and Dinora, sometimes considered elaborations of Dinah.
- Feminine forms of Dionysius, like Dionysia, sometimes end up close to Dinah, like Denia and Diona, as well Dionne – which brings to mind yet another singer, Dionne Warwick.
Lots of names sound like Dinah, and yet the precise name is quite rare. As of 2023, just 40 girls were named Dinah. It’s dropped slightly in use since the beginning of the 2000s.
RETRO RARITY
In our age of Hannah, Isla, Mila, Delilah, and Lyla, it seems like the baby name Dinah could easily rank in the US Top 100.
Instead, it’s shockingly rare. And that makes Dinah quite cool. It’s a throwback kind of name, a sort of Brooklyn-Silver Lake choice that feels effortlessly interesting and distinctive. It’s that rare Biblical pick that doesn’t feel too self-consciously religious – think Hephzibah – or perfectly mainstream – like Sarah.
If you’re looking for something different, distinctive, and rich in story, Dinah might be the perfect name to add to your list.
What do you think of the baby name Dinah?
This post was originally published on January 2, 2009. It was substantially revised and re-posted on July 11, 2016 and again on December 21, 2024.
I named my kitten dinah because my fiancé hates it for a child based on the story in the bible. That’s ok I got a dinah and didn’t make the Alice in wonderland connection until after it was made.
I think Dinah’s a very good name, and underused too. I think of Dinah Shore when I hear it, and yes, the song… the slavery image not so much. But I don’t think today’s children will have any of these associations. I know if I asked my 14-year-old about the song, he would have no idea what I was talking about and he’s probably never heard of the name. The Dinah in the Bible – don’t know if her name would be pronounced to rhyme with China or like Deena. It’s used in Israel and often written as Dina. I think usage of Dina or Deena in the US is actually not related to Dinah.. it’s sort of a nickname name (like Tina) that became an independent name.
Oh, and I forgot to say – any association with Philadelphia Story or Katharine Hepburn is always a big plus in my book!
I absolutely adore Dinah! It’s a great name!
For me, the most strong association is the song (I sing it to my daughter quite a bit). When I was looking at Lily name, Delilah briefly came up, and there’s something similar there, but Dinah is way better. (Plus I’d rather someone sing Dinah won’t you blow than Why why why Delilah anyway).
Dinah’s sassy and sweet and an altogether great name!
I first came across Dinah in Enid Blyton’s ‘The adventure series’, the characters were Philip, Jack, Dinah and Lucy-ann as I recall and I was as charmed by her then (aged 10ish) as I am now! She reminds me of Eliza or Nora and Clara as Verity has mentioned. I love how she sounds old-fashioned but is totally wearable and I also love how she is short but doesn’t for one minute sound unfinished as so many short names can.
Lola, sounds like a plan to me, let’s do it!
I can see having a problem with the “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” song, it hadn’t occured to me, but “Dinah won’t you blow, Dinah won’t you blow my horn” could be unfortunate in junior high. However, I doubt that many kids born now will even know that song, or at least it won’t be common enough that they’ll think of singing it to a little Dinah… I could be totally off base there though, I don’t know.
I really like Diana, and Dinah is charming, and I’m a little surprised at her ratings.
I can’t help but sing “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” when I hear it though… Which, for me, makes it appear on the “I wouldn’t use it list”… I know I wouldn’t want people always singing at me, so I try to think of that (my poor friend Ronda… oh man, Beach Boys are the bane of her existence)…
Also, makes me think Diner, but that’s probably because I’m from the Land of Diners 😉
Nessa, you have a Dinah, I’ll have a Jemima and together we’ll blow the lid off that “slave” thing! 😀
I love Dinah! I have a younger cousin named Deena and I can recall curling my lip at the name (I think I was 11 when she was born) and saying to my Mom “eww, why didn’t they go with Dinah”? *This is part of the cheesy ABCDE family we’ve got there*. So I’ve had a fondness for Dinah for a fair while! I think she’s lyrical; light & pretty. One of the very few names I like with that ‘h’ on the end, too. I remember Dinah Shore in the 70’s (I was betwen 3 & 12 in the 70’s) and the Dinah show was one my Mom probably watched, sparingly. That might be where I heard it first. I was not an “Alice in Wonderland” fan until I was well into High School. I hadn’t even read it until senior year (Ken still makes fun of me for that fact: “Shakespeare at 4 but Alice in Wonderland at 17? You’re weird”” So I rarely make the cat assocation. I had that Dinah Mite doll! (One of the very few I didnt blow the head off of, she had gorgeous, orangey blonde hair!) and I loved that purple jumpsuit. There’s a doll for every girl, and Dinah Mite was mine. (Funny too, my brother never had Action Jackson that I know of). Because of Black Canary (who I always forget about), she may fly past him. Any surperhero name is fair game, in this house. The more obscure, the better. (It’s how I get Arthur past him, who’s cooler than Aquaman?) :
)
Dinah’s warm & charming, soft and feminine but in just the right amount. No fluffy princess, she! I thoroughly like Dinah, she gets a huge :thumbsup: from me. Nessa, you’ve got a winner with Dinah! (and thanks Verity, this was a great read!) 🙂
I think Alice’s cat is what introduced me to the name, I remember watching the Alice in Wonderland TV show and loving the name Dinah. I’m so surprised at the rankings! How is it possible something so recognizable could be so unused? That’s fascinating. It’s a shame about the house slave thing, but I could get over that. I’m really surprised it’s not more common, you’d think some of the “Diana” parents would use Dinah, they do sound quite similar, but to me Dinah is so much sweeter. All in all I just love her, I’d absolutely love to meet one, but now I realize how unlikely that is! I’d certainly use her myself, and I think you’ve bumped her up a couple spaces on my list!