| Daniel | Steven | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God is my judge | — |
| Origin | Hebrew | — |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | DAN-yul | — |
| Syllables | 2 | — |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1985 (38,559) | 1956 (38,413) |
| In 2025 | 8,085 | 1,261 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Daniel | Steven |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 52,726 | 8,494 |
| 2010s | 133,952 | 26,897 |
| 2000s | 203,975 | 53,909 |
| 1990s | 272,360 | 121,110 |
| 1980s | 345,537 | 177,454 |
| 1970s | 244,454 | 188,078 |
| 1960s | 242,020 | 290,607 |
| 1950s | 243,727 | 333,666 |
| 1940s | 112,778 | 81,204 |
| 1930s | 47,998 | 4,834 |
| 1920s | 43,407 | 3,639 |
| 1910s | 23,978 | 2,531 |
| 1900s | 5,036 | 338 |
| 1890s | 5,185 | 186 |
| 1880s | 5,679 | 177 |
Daniel is Hebrew for “God is my judge.” In the Bible, the prophet Daniel famously survived a night in the lions’ den.
Steven is a spelling of Stephen, from the Greek Stephanos, “crown” or “garland.” St Stephen was the first Christian martyr, and the name has been borne by kings and, in modern times, by figures such as Steven Spielberg.
Daniel is more popular than Steven today: about 8,085 US babies were given the name Daniel in 2025, compared with 1,261 named Steven.
In US records, Daniel first appears in 1880 and Steven in 1880, so Daniel has the longer recorded history.