Daniel
Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge" and derives from two early biblical figures, primary among them Daniel from the Book of Daniel. It is a common given name for males and also used as a surname, and is the basis for various derived given names and surnames.
- English
- Hebrew
- French
- German
Meaning & Origin of Daniel
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge" and derives from two early biblical figures, primary among them Daniel from the Book of Daniel. It is a common given name for males and also used as a surname, and is the basis for various derived given names and surnames.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Hebrew
- French
- German
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
- Polish
- Czech
- Slovak
- Spanish
- Portuguese
- Catalan
- Romanian
- Slovene
- Bulgarian
- Macedonian
- Croatian
- Finnish
- Estonian
- Armenian
- Georgian
- Biblical
- Biblical Greek
- Hungarian
- Faroese
- Icelandic
- Dutch
Origin & history
The Story of Daniel
The earliest SSA record of Daniel as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 643 babies received it. 1985 was its biggest year on record, with 38,564 newborns named Daniel — #5 in the national rankings. As of 2026, Daniel ranks #21 for baby boys with 8,096 births, falling sharply (-19%). All told, over 2.0M Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Daniel
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Daniel. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Daniel
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- List of people with given name Daniel
- List of people with surname Daniel
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Daniel
Phonetically similar names — useful when Daniel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Daniel
What does the name Daniel mean?
What is the origin of the name Daniel?
How popular is Daniel in 2026?
When was Daniel most popular?
In which U.S. states is Daniel most popular?
Is Daniel a unisex name?
What names go well with Daniel?
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About the name Daniel
Daniel is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 2.0M births in the dataset. Daniel's peak popularity came in 1985 when it ranked #5. Use the chart and map above to compare Daniel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1985 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "D" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.