Dinah

Dinah is a female given name of Hebrew origin. The name is commonly interpreted as meaning “judged” or “vindicated,” and it has been used in various cultures and languages. In addition to personal names, Dinah appears in literature, music, and popular culture.

In the Hebrew Bible, Dinah is the daughter of Jacob and Leah. Her narrative appears in Genesis 34 and centers on her encounter with Shechem, as well as the subsequent family response. The Dinah story is one of the more frequently referenced biblical events outside the major patriarchal episodes, and it has been discussed in theological and literary contexts.

Notable people with the name include Dinah Shore (1916–1994), an American singer, actress, and television personality who became a prominent figure in mid-20th-century entertainment. The name also appears in fiction and media, such as Dinah Drake (later Dinah Lance), a character in DC Comics who is the mother of Black Canary (Dinah Laurel Lance).

In literature, Dinah is the name of Alice’s pet cat in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a small detail that has become a familiar reference in popular culture. The name also appears in song; the 1920s standard “Dinah” has been widely recorded and performed in jazz and popular music, contributing to the name’s enduring recognition.

Overall, Dinah is a historically rooted name with biblical origins that continues to appear across real and fictional contexts.