Daniel is a name of Hebrew origin meaning ‘God is my judge’. It’s a biblical name as it is seen very early on in the Old Testament when Daniel was completely loyal to the God of Israel even though he knew of the dangers. He was aggressively punished for not following the king but God ensured he stayed safe.

Daniel of the bible could also interpret dreams so if this is something you’re interested in then this might be just the name for you.
- Daniel Name Origin: Hebrew
- Daniel Name Meaning: God is my judge
- Pronunciation: DAN-yul
- Gender: Daniel itself is the masculine version of the name although there are female versions such as Daniella
How Popular is the Name Daniel?
Daniel remains popular to this day and has sat comfortably in the top 50 boys’ names of the US for at least the last century.
Its climb through the top 50 list began in the 1920s when it reached the 20th spot in 1952. It then took only 24 years for it to make its way to the top 10, now if that doesn’t tell you this is a popular name then we don’t know what will.
The name then remained in the top ten for 14 years between 1981 and 1995 and even managed to reach the top 5 space twice in the years 1985 and 1990.
As of 2020, the name is at spot 14 on this could very well change in the next few years.
Variations of the Name Daniel
Are you a fan of Daniel but aren’t 100% sure if this is the name for your baby? Well, what about some of these other names?
Names | Meaning | Origin |
Daan | God is my judge | Dutch |
Danail | God is my judge | Bulgarian |
Danyal | God is my judge | Turkish |
Deiniol | God is my judge | Welsh |
Taneli | Judged by God | Finnish |
Other Brilliant Hebrew Boys Names
There are also some great Hebrew boys names out there.
Name | Meaning |
Noah | Repose, rest |
James | Supplanter |
Benjamin | Son of the right hand |
Levi | Joining |
Mateo | Gift of God |
Alternative Boys Names Starting With D
Maybe you’re sold on the letter D but aren’t completely sure about the name Daniel? Well, let’s see if we can help you out!
Name | Meaning | Origin |
David | Beloved | Hebrew |
Diego | Supplanter | Diego |
Dexter | Right handed, fortunate, one who dyes | Latin |
Darren | Oak tree | Irish |
Dennis | Follower of Dionysus | Greek |
Famous People Named Daniel
With the name Daniel being so popular there’s no doubt about it that you’ll know a few of the big stars out there that share this name, let’s take a look.
- Dan Brown – American author
- Dan Bunz – American football player
- Dan Butler – American actor
- Dan Carden – British politician
- Dan Castellana – American actor, the voice of Homer Simpson