Explore the Family Name Daniel
The meaning of Daniel
1. English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Jewish, Assyrian/Chaldean, West Indian (mainly Haiti), and African (mainly Nigeria and Tanzania); Breton (rarely Le Daniel); Hungarian (Dániel): from the Biblical personal name Daniel, Syriac (Assyrian/Chaldean) Dānīʾēl, Hungarian Dániel (from Hebrew Daniyyel ‘God is my judge’), borne by a major prophet in the Bible. The chief factor influencing the popularity of the personal name (and hence the frequency of the surname) was undoubtedly the dramatic story in the Book of Daniel recounting the prophet’s steadfast adherence to his religious faith despite pressure and persecution from the Mesopotamian kings in whose court he served: Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius. The name was also borne by a 2nd-century Christian martyr and by a 9th-century hermit, the legend of whose lives were popular among Christians during the Middle Ages. Among Orthodox Christians in Eastern Europe the name was also popular as being that of a 4th-century Persian martyr, who was venerated in the Orthodox Church. In France, this surname is most common in Brittany. 2. Irish (Tipperary and Waterford): shortened form of McDaniel, which is actually a variant of McDonnell, from the Gaelic form of Irish Donal (equivalent to Scottish Donald), erroneously associated with the Biblical personal name Daniel. See also O’Donnell. 3. Americanized or Germanized form of Slovenian Danijel: from the Biblical personal name Danijel ‘Daniel’ (see 1 above). History: Peter Daniel was one of the pioneer settlers in the 18th century in Stafford County, VA, where he was a justice of the peace. His grandson, Peter Vivian Daniel, was a US Supreme Court justice from 1841 to his death in Richmond, VA, in 1860.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Daniel in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Daniel" saw some changes from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Daniel ranked as the 380th most popular surname, dropping slightly to the 396th spot in 2010. This change represents a decrease in popularity by 4.21%. However, despite this drop in ranking, the number of people with the Daniel surname increased from 75,135 in 2000 to 80,526 in 2010, an increase of 7.18%. Yet, the proportion of individuals with the Daniel surname per 100,000 decreased marginally from 27.85 to 27.3, a decline of 1.97%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #380 | #396 | -4.21% |
| Count | 75,135 | 80,526 | 7.18% |
| Proportion per 100k | 27.85 | 27.3 | -1.97% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Daniel
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data presents an interesting shift in the ethnic identity associated with the Daniel surname between 2000 and 2010. The largest growth was seen among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, with a substantial increase of 49.06%. Additionally, there was an increase of 30.91% in those identifying as Hispanic, 10.26% in those reporting two or more races, and 18.97% in those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native. Meanwhile, individuals self-identifying as White decreased by 6.24%, though they still made up the majority at 62.84% in 2010. Those identifying as Black had a modest increase of 6.28%, making up 25.56% of Daniels in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 67.02% | 62.84% | -6.24% |
| Black | 24.05% | 25.56% | 6.28% |
| Hispanic | 4.27% | 5.59% | 30.91% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.12% | 3.16% | 49.06% |
| Two or More Races | 1.95% | 2.15% | 10.26% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.58% | 0.69% | 18.97% |
Daniel ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Daniel is British & Irish, which comprises 51.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.8%) and Nigerian (3.8%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.7% |
| French & German | 18.8% |
| Nigerian | 3.8% |
| Other | 25.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Daniel
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Daniel have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 75.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 75.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 75.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 75.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 75.00% |
What Daniel haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Daniel is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-S1954 and R-S3933, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Daniels, Smith, Taylor, Green, Thompson, Cooper, White, Wilson, Clark, Rose.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Daniel surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Daniel have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Daniel" Surname 39.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Daniel" Surname 29.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Daniel" Surname 20.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Daniel" Surname 18.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Daniel?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Daniel are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition