Dan - Definition and Overview

Dan can refer to one of several things:

• In the bible, Dan is the name of one of the sons of Jacob (see Dan (biblical figure)), and of the tribe consisting of his descendants (see Tribe of Dan).
• In Hebrew, Dan is the third person of the present tense of the verb "ladoun" and means "to judge".
• In Chinese Opera, a Dan is any female role. Traditionally, all female roles have been played by male actors.
• Dan is a city in the ancient Kingdom of Israel.
• Dan (stream) is one of the three large streams who form the Jordan River in Israel.
• Gush Dan is a name of large metropolitan block in Israel. It strays along the Mediterranean Sea coast from Rishon LeZion in the south to Ramat Aviv (north Tel Aviv) in the north.
• Dan Bus Cooperative is a bus company in Israel which operates in the Gush Dan area.
• Dan is also a popular given name today. For example, according to the 1990 U.S. Census, Dan is the 179th most popular given name in the U.S., given to 0.1% of the males. Dan can also be the shortening of the more popular name Daniel (12th most popular in the U.S., given to almost 1% of the males).
• A Celtic goddess (see Danu).
• A deity in Dahomey mythology.
• Dan (Danish), the name of one or more legendary Danish kings.
• A scale of teacher (black-belt) grades in martial arts such as Judo, see dan grade.
• Divers Alert Network (scuba diving).
• An Elf from J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction, see Nandor.
• Dān is the posthumous name of Lao Zi (Lao Tzu)