Daniel
How to say it: DAN-yul · /ˈdænjəl/
God is my judge — from the Hebrew Daniyyel, borne by the biblical prophet Daniel.
Daniel was the 28th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 8,085 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1980s, its births are down about 40% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #45 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #28 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 8,085 |
| Share of births | 1 in 410 |
| Peak decade | 1980s |
| Change over 10 years | −40% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #45 |
| In France, 2025 | #162 among boys’ names, 385 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Climbing to a high in the 1980s, Daniel has since grown rarer. It stands well below its peak today and is likely to keep slipping.
What goes with it
Gentle and strong with soft sounds and a biblical thread. Dan and Michael both sit comfortably alongside it.
Middle names that flow with Daniel →
Nicknames
- Dan
- Danny
Honouring a Daniel in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Daniel is about 1 in 18.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Welsh.
In France: #162 for boys in 2025.
England and Wales: #62. Ireland: #14.
Famous people named Daniel
- Daniel Radcliffe (born 1989)English actor and film producer
- Daniel Craig (born 1968)English actor
- Daniel Day-Lewis (born 1957)British actor
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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