The later Dantes Plads seen as an extension of Ny Vestergade on a detail of an 1897 drawing by Franz Sedivý

The shape of the square was created when the grounds of Copenhagen's former West Rampart was redeveloped in the 1880s but it was then simply part of an extension of Ny Vestergade. The trapexoid shape enabled traffic to continue around the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek along present day Tietgensgade, then simply known as Ny Vestergades forlængelse" (Extension of Ny Vestergade). It was not until a narrow strip of Tivoli Gardens was acquired by the city and the Arena Theatre was demolished that Tietgensgade was connected to Stormgade ione block further to the north.

Dantes Plads in 1924

The name Dantes Plads was introduced in connection with the installation of the Dante Column in front of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in 1924. The name originally referred to the section of Vestre Boulevard (now H. C. Andersens Boulevard) between Kongensgade and Stormgade. The boulevard was redesigned in 1955 in response to the increase in traffic that followed from the inauguration of the new Lange Bridge. The whole street was at the same event renamed H. C. Andersens Boulevard to mark the 150 years anniversary of Hans Christian Andersen's birth and the name Dantes Plads was instead transferred to the trapezoid space between the boulevard and Vester Voldgade, which had until then been part of Ny Vestergade.