Boy · #21 in 2026

Daniel

Name: Popularity of the name Daniel in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Daniel, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

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.

Current Rank

#21

Peak Rank

#5 (1985)

Total Babies

2.0M

5-Yr Trend

-19%

1900

First Year

2026

Last Year

1985

Peak Year

#632

Peak Rank

Total Count

117

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Daniel

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history

The name evolved into over 100 different spellings in countries around the world. The name " Daniil " (Даниил) is common in Russia. In Kazakh the names Daniel (Даниель) and Danial (Даниал) are commonly used. Feminine versions ( Danielle , Danièle , Daniela, Daniella, Dani, Danitza) are prevalent as well. It has been particularly well-used in Ireland. The Dutch names "Daan" and "Daniël" are also variations of Daniel. A related surname, Daniels , developed as a patronymic . Other surnames derived from "Daniel" include McDaniel and Danielson.

The Story of Daniel

Daniel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 643 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1985, when 38,564 Daniels were born — ranking #5 that year. As of 2026, Daniel ranks #21 for baby boys with 8,096 births, falling sharply (-19%). In total, more than 2.0M Daniels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

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?

How popular is Daniel in 2026?

In 2026, Daniel ranks #21 among boys' names in the U.S., with 8,096 babies given the name that year.

When was Daniel most popular?

Daniel reached its peak popularity in 1985, ranking #5 that year with 38,564 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Daniel most popular?

Daniel has historically been most popular in California, Illinois, U.S. Territories. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Daniel.

Is Daniel a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Daniel is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Daniel?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Daniel include Joseph, Richard, Andrew. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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

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.