Dakoda is a spelling variant of Dakota, the name of the Sioux people and of two states, which in the Dakota language means "friend" or "ally". The -oda spelling gives it a more phonetic look. In the United States Dakoda ranked number 1273 in 2000, peaked at number 1053 in 2004 and stands at number 2114 among boys' names in 2025, while Dakota remains far more common.