Daniel
Meaning
"God is my judge," from Daniyyel, the dream-reading prophet who walked out of the lions' den; a steady classic in English since the Middle Ages and a cornerstone name across Spanish, Hebrew, and Slavic worlds alike. Dan and Danny come standard
Famously borne by Daniel Ek, co-founder of Spotify. Famously borne by Daniel Stern, the man's name Marie d'Agoult used for her history of the 1848 revolution.
The story
Daniel comes from the Hebrew Daniyyel, God is my judge, borne by the prophet who interpreted dreams for kings in Babylon and walked out of the lions' den unharmed. That story carried the name across every Jewish and Christian community in Europe, and it has been a steady presence in English since the Middle Ages, equally at home in Spanish, Hebrew, and the Slavic languages. Its American record is a slow, patient climb: modest but never absent in the early twentieth century, building decade over decade through the postwar years, and peaking around the 2000s before easing only slightly. There is no single celebrity spark to point to, just generations of parents reaching for a name that sounds serious without being stiff. Dan and Danny come standard with the full version, and both wear well at any age.
Daniel's name family
One shared root links 8 names across 3 languages.
Shared root: from Hebrew Daniyyel "God is my judge", the dream-reading prophet
The family
More branches
Daniel in song
Daniel
Elton John (1973)
Bernie Taupin's lyric about a war veteran leaving for Spain, sung so gently that most listeners hear only the tenderness of a brother watching a plane go.
On record since at least the 17th century: Daniel Defoe, English writer.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Daniel peaked in the 1990s and the 2000s in nearly equal measure.
Popularity in Brazil
770,743 people · the #17 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 264 · median age 25
Among people named Daniel living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 2000s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 34,551 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Daniel
Most people given the name Daniel in the United States were born between 1960 and 2009. The Daniel you meet today is most often in his 30s or 40s.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Daniel deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Daniel truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Daniel fits with your family’s names and surname.
Where Daniel travels
Mexican American · a steady, strong classic across generations
Jewish American · a beloved biblical classic
Korean American · God is my judge (one of the most common Korean American church names for boys)
Chinese American · a steady, dignified favorite across every generation of Chinese American families
Global crossover · a top-10 name in the UK and Ireland for years and a steady favorite across the US and much of the world
Keep exploring
Names like Daniel · Nicknames for Daniel · Middle names for Daniel · Global crossover names · Jewish American baby names · Korean American baby names · Hebrew baby names · Chinese American baby names · Mexican American baby names
Does Daniel fit YOUR family?
nametree reads your family’s names and finds the ones that belong. Free, private, no ads.
Add Daniel to your family’s tree →