The name Daniel is a masculine name in the English language. The name is derived from the Hebrew name דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyyel) meaning "God is my judge", from the Hebrew root words דִּין (din) meaning "to judge" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". The name is associated with two Biblical figures, primary among them Daniel and the Book of Daniel which was named for him.

Due to the popularity of the biblical character, the name came into use in England during the Middle Ages. Its popularity dwindled in the 15th century but was revived following the Protestant Reformation, and it has been wildly popular ever since.

In the United States, "Daniel" is one of 13 names to have been within the US Top 100 in every year since records began in 1880, the others being Andrew, Charles, David, Elizabeth, James, Human name/John, Joseph, Michael, Robert, Samuel, Thomas, and Human names/William. Twelve of the thirteen names are masculine, with Elizabeth being the only feminine name to have never missed the top 100.

At the height of its usage, in 1985, "Daniel" was number 5 on the chart for boys, and it was given to 38,552 boys that year, accounting for 2.003% of that year's male births. The name remains a classic, timeless favorite even in the present time, ranking number 14 in 2020, given to 9,419 boys during that year for a relative density of 0.514% of that year's male births, and this name will likely remain very popular for decades to come.

Famous people

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  • Daniel Adair, Canadian drummer
  • Daniel Agger, Danish international footballer, formerly of Liverpool
  • Daniel Ahn (a.k.a. Niel), South Korean singer-songwriter, actor and member of boy group Teen Top
  • Daniel Alfredsson, Swedish retired hockey player
  • Daniel Alvarado (1949–2020), Venezuelan actor
  • Daniel Alves, Brazilian international footballer, currently playing for Paris Saint-Germain
  • Daniel Andersson, Swedish association football player
  • Daniel Andrews, 48th Premier of Victoria, Australia.
  • Daniel Anthony, British actor
  • Daniel Aranzubia, Spanish association football player
  • Daniel arap Moi, (1924–2020), 2nd President of Kenya
  • Daniel Armand Lee (a.k.a. Tablo), Korean-Canadian hip hop artist, songwriter, lyricist and member of Epik High
  • Daniel Bailey, sprinter from Antigua and Barbuda
  • Daniel Boone (B. Nov. 2, 1734 - D. Sep. 26, 1820), American Pioneer, Frontiersman, Revolutionary Soldier, Statesman, Founder of Boonesboro, KY
  • Daniel "Cloud" Campos (born 1983), American dancer
  • Daniel Carlson (born 1995), American football player
  • Daniel Carriço, Portuguese association football player
  • Daniel Clifford, English chef
  • Daniel Powter, Canadian singer
  • Daniel Roullier (born 1936/1937), French billionaire businessman
  • Daniel Sackey (born 1994), Canadian basketball player
  • Daniel Samohin (born 1998), Israeli Olympic figure skater
  • Daniel Schlereth, baseball pitcher
  • Daniel Sharman, English actor
  • Daniel Webster (1782–1852), American lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts, U.S. Secretary of State for U.S. president John Tyler
  • Daniel Vasella (born 1953), Swiss businessman
  • Daniel Zovatto (born 1991), American actor