Daniel
Boy name · #22 in 2025 · Very well-known
Daniel ranks #22 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 8,085 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #12, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 223 boys born in 2025 was named Daniel.
The 145-year story
Daniel first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 643 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1985, when 38,559 boys were named Daniel — good for #5 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Daniel per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Daniel against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Daniel in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Daniel is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Daniel is most common
Geography matters for names, and Daniel is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Daniel is most common in DC (10 per 1,000), AK (9.7 per 1,000), HI (8.9 per 1,000), DE (7.8 per 1,000), NH (7.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 5.5 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Daniel is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Daniel
Daniel carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Daniel family went to about 8,608 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #16, versus #22 for Daniel alone.
Names like Daniel
Statistically, parents drawn to Daniel tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Samuel, Matthew, Anthony, Gabriel, and Andrew.
SamuelMatthewAnthonyGabrielAndrewJoshuaBenjaminAaron
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Daniel | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8,085 | #22 |
| 2024 | 8,426 | #16 |
| 2023 | 8,402 | #17 |
| 2022 | 9,121 | #14 |
| 2021 | 9,162 | #16 |
| 2020 | 9,530 | #14 |
| 2019 | 10,592 | #15 |
| 2018 | 11,296 | #15 |
| 2017 | 11,758 | #15 |
| 2016 | 12,996 | #13 |
| 2015 | 13,543 | #12 |
| 2014 | 13,961 | #10 |
| 2013 | 14,326 | #10 |
| 2012 | 14,304 | #11 |
| 2011 | 15,307 | #10 |
| 2010 | 15,869 | #8 |
| 2009 | 17,564 | #7 |
| 2008 | 19,032 | #5 |
| 2007 | 20,268 | #5 |
| 2006 | 20,082 | #6 |
| 2005 | 20,236 | #7 |
| 2004 | 21,018 | #7 |
| 2003 | 21,072 | #8 |
| 2002 | 21,352 | #10 |
| 2001 | 21,013 | #9 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Daniel a popular boy name?
Daniel ranked #22 among boys in 2025 with 8,085 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #12.
When was the name Daniel most popular?
Daniel peaked in 1985, when 38,559 American boys received the name (ranked #5 that year). Since 1985 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Daniel?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 223 newborn American boys was named Daniel. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very well-known".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.