Boy name · Hebrew
Daniel
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: God is my judgeDaniel is a boy's name that comes from Hebrew and means "God is my judge". It is used in English, Irish, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese and more.
- Meaning
- God is my judge
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #22 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Daniel
As a boy's name, Daniel comes from Hebrew and means "God is my judge". It is used in English, Irish, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Scandinavian and Hebrew.
In French, say dahn-YEL. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Daniel is also a surname: the 407th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 78,123 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Daniel on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Daniel on 5 lists.
“God is my judge; Hebrew. Survived the lions' den, Daniel 6”
From Biblical names, biblical names for boys
“God is my judge; Hebrew. The prophet in the lions' den”
From Classic boy names, timeless boy names
“God is my judge; Hebrew. Say dahn-YEL”
From French boy names, retro French male names from the 1950s to the 1970s
“God is my judge; Hebrew. No. 9 in 2020 (INEGI). Say dahn-YEL”
From Mexican boy names, popular Mexican boy names (INEGI 2020)
“God is my judge; Hebrew. Say dahn-YEL”
From Spanish boy names, popular Spanish boy names in Spain (INE 2024)
How popular is Daniel?
- US rank in 2025
- #22
- 8,085 babies, 4,733 per million boys
- Best rank
- #5 in 1985
- 38,559 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 1,982,812
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 5,184 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 4,544 per million |
| 1900s | 3,710 per million |
| 1910s | 3,592 per million |
| 1920s | 3,939 per million |
| 1930s | 4,542 per million |
| 1940s | 7,576 per million |
| 1950s | 12,055 per million |
| 1960s | 12,564 per million |
| 1970s | 14,801 per million |
| 1980s | 18,719 per million |
| 1990s | 13,982 per million |
| 2000s | 10,219 per million |
| 2010s | 7,124 per million |
| 2020s | 5,088 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13 | #15 | #15 | #15 | #14 | #16 | #14 | #17 | #16 | #22 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Daniel
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Dancommon English nickname
- Dannycommon English nickname
Other forms of Daniel
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- DaanGod is my judge (Hebrew, boy)
- DanieleGod is my judge (Hebrew, boy)
- DaniilGod is my judge (Hebrew, boy)
- DanilaGod is my judge, a folk form of Daniil (Hebrew, boy)
- DaniloGod is my judge (Hebrew, boy)
- DannyGod is my judge (Hebrew, boy)
- DeiniolGod is my judge (Hebrew, boy)
- KanielaGod is my judge (Hebrew, boy)
Names spelled like Daniel
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
Middle names for Daniel
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Hebrew
- AdamMan, humankind (Hebrew, boy)
- DavidBeloved one (Hebrew, boy)
- NoahRest, repose (Hebrew, boy)
- EliasMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- GabrielGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
- AxelMy father is peace (Hebrew, boy)
- BenjaminSon of the right hand (Hebrew, boy)
- IsaacHe will laugh (Hebrew, boy)
- JanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- JonathanYahweh has given (Hebrew, boy)
Daniel: common questions
What does the name Daniel mean?
Daniel comes from Hebrew and means "God is my judge".
Is Daniel a boy or girl name?
Daniel is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 8 girls and 8,085 boys in the US were named Daniel, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for Daniel?
Common nicknames for Daniel include Dan and Danny.
How popular is the name Daniel?
Daniel ranked #22 in the US in 2025, with 8,085 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Daniel?
Forms of Daniel with the same meaning and origin include Daan (Dutch), Daniele (Italian), Daniil (Russian), Danila (Russian) and Danilo (Spanish).
What middle names go with Daniel?
Middle names that flow well with Daniel include Ezra, Glenn, Henry, Hugh and Jonah. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.