| Daniel | Jonathan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God is my judge | Yahweh has given |
| Origin | Hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | DAN-yul | JON-ə-thən |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1985 (38,559) | 1988 (24,349) |
| In 2025 | 8,085 | 3,822 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Daniel | Jonathan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 52,726 | 25,386 |
| 2010s | 133,952 | 79,888 |
| 2000s | 203,975 | 144,848 |
| 1990s | 272,360 | 197,503 |
| 1980s | 345,537 | 229,953 |
| 1970s | 244,454 | 107,926 |
| 1960s | 242,020 | 47,389 |
| 1950s | 243,727 | 25,816 |
| 1940s | 112,778 | 8,296 |
| 1930s | 47,998 | 1,663 |
| 1920s | 43,407 | 1,078 |
| 1910s | 23,978 | 660 |
| 1900s | 5,036 | 139 |
| 1890s | 5,185 | 129 |
| 1880s | 5,679 | 192 |
Daniel is Hebrew for “God is my judge.” In the Bible, the prophet Daniel famously survived a night in the lions’ den.
From Hebrew Yehonatan, combining yeho (a form of Yahweh) + natan 'to give' — 'Yahweh has given'. A 'gift of God' name framed as God's act of giving.
Daniel is more popular than Jonathan today: about 8,085 US babies were given the name Daniel in 2025, compared with 3,822 named Jonathan.
Daniel means God is my judge (Hebrew origin), while Jonathan means Yahweh has given (hebrew origin).
In US records, Daniel first appears in 1880 and Jonathan in 1880, so Daniel has the longer recorded history.