Daniel
Daniel was the 22nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 8,085 babies. Its best year was 1985, when it ranked 5th with 38,559 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 10 places. More babies were named Daniel in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning 'God is my judge' · Hebrew
Say it DAN-yul /ˈdænjəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #22 boys, down 8 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 8,085boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 198538,559 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,991,091babies recorded
What does the name Daniel mean?
Daniel is the Hebrew name of the prophet of the Book of Daniel, usually explained as 'God is my judge'. DMNES notes that in pre-Conquest England it was used almost only by churchmen, and that ordinary people took it up in the 12th century.
דָּנִיֵּאל (Biblical Hebrew, “'God is my judge'”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Nicknames for Daniel
The usual nicknames for Daniel are Danny and Dan. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Daniel in the last five years, 5 were named Danny, against 5 twenty years earlier. Dan is also gaining on the full name.
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Daniels go by each one.
Daniel popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 8,279 since 1900, 8 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #22 | 8,085 |
| 2020 | #14 | 9,530 |
| 2010 | #8 | 15,869 |
| 2000 | #9 | 22,338 |
| 1990 | #5 | 33,830 |
| 1980 | #11 | 29,888 |
| 1970 | #19 | 23,521 |
| 1960 | #17 | 25,945 |
| 1950 | #21 | 19,189 |
| 1940 | #34 | 6,225 |
| 1930 | #47 | 4,465 |
| 1920 | #52 | 3,897 |
| 1910 | #53 | 692 |
| 1900 | #44 | 598 |
| 1890 | #39 | 505 |
| 1880 | #25 | 643 |
How popular is Daniel, counting every spelling?
Daniel is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #27 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #22 for Daniel on its own. Together these spellings went to 8,094 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel | 8,085 | #22 | 43,196 |
| Danniel | 9 | #8,403 | 44 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Daniel?
8,085 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Daniel (2.24 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Daniel born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 24. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, a typical elementary school of 430 pupils would have about 1.0 children named Daniel.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Daniel?
About 1,607,600 people born in the US named Daniel are alive today, with a median age of 41; half are between 27 and 57. That makes Daniel mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Daniel by state
How common Daniel was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (1.8×), Alaska (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Louisiana, Vermont, West Virginia.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Daniel: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Daniel, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Daniel · Sibling names for Daniel
Questions about the name Daniel
What does Daniel mean?
Daniel means “'God is my judge'” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Daniel?
Daniel was the 22nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 8,085 babies. Its best year was 1985, when it ranked 5th with 38,559 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 10 places. More babies were named Daniel in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Daniel a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Daniel in the US.
Where is Daniel most popular?
In 2021–2025, Daniel was most common in District of Columbia (8.81 per 1,000 boys), followed by Alaska and New Mexico.