Dante is an Italian short form of Durante, from the Latin durans, and means "enduring" or "steadfast". The poet Dante Alighieri, author of the Divine Comedy, made the name immortal, and in the United States it is popular in both Italian American and Black families. Dante has been remarkably stable: number 248 in 2000, its best rank this century, and 308th place among boys' names in 2025.