My name is Dada. Together with my second name Luisa it is Dada Luisa and works well. People frequently ask whether it is a nickname, but never how it is spelled. Children can pronounce my name and also people worldwide. Together with my middle name it doesn't look awkward in job applications and I really like the slightly rebellious artsy association. I have never met anyone with my name. In Swahili it means 'sister'. In French it means 'hobby-horse' And yes, it is a funny name, but I think when combined with a more traditional name it works very well. :)
Dada is the elder brother of Sango, a deity in Yoruba land. He's said to have natural curly locked hair. There's a proverb in Yoruba land that connotes this, " Dada o le ja, o l'aburo to gboju." (Dada cannot fight but has a younger brother that is dreadful)Children born with such hair are called Dada in Yorubaland. They are treated with honour because it's believed that they are not ordinary beings.
I think it's a cute name! Though I would never name my kid this if I ever have one, since I live in America. But in my opinion, it's cute and reminds me of a bubbly, sweet girl.
I wonder what you think of the name 'Cassidy', which means curly-haired. Looking past that, as many have said, it does resemble the word Dad and its variants. I discourage its use in English-speaking countries or wherever the term 'Dad(a)" is used. Anywhere else, though, it should be fine.
Dada, to me, means the Dada movement in art. Dadaism (as it's often called, but I think a lot of Dadaists would object to this) is basically making fun of surrealism. I enjoy Dada art, and if I met someone named Dada, then that's what I'd think of. (Incidentally, the Dadaists got their name by choosing it at random from a French dictionary. It apparently means "hobbyhorse".)
No offense to anyone named Dada, but I would never want that to be my name! Anyone who names their kid this has to be crazy! "Hey Dada, wanna go get some pizza?" It sounds strange!