Total births
1,982,812
Boys' name · since 1880
Daniel
1,982,812 babies named Daniel in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1985. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #16
- among boys today
- 1,982,812
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 99.9%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Daniel is the #16 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 1,982,812 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Daniel recorded 1,982,812 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #16 nationally today, ahead of 99.9% of boys, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #16 among boys today
- 1,982,812 born since 1880
- 1980s peak decade
- 99.9% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Daniel is currently the #16 boys' name in America, more common than 99.9% of boys - 1,982,812 born since 1880, peaking in the 1980s.
- #16
- among boys today
- 1,982,812
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 99.9%
- more common than other boys
Daniel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#16
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.9% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Daniel was born in this single decade.
1985
Single peak year
38,559 babies were named Daniel in 1985 - its busiest year on record.
How Daniel compares
1,982,812 Top 0% higher than 100% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Daniel's all-time total is 5,403x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Daniel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,982,812 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 38,559 | 23 | 22,252 |
Daniel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Daniel's full recorded timeline at 1953, 84% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 16% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1901, with just 416 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1985 peak of 38,559 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Daniel at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
1985
Current rank
#16
Active since
1880
Daniel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1985)
- 38,559
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Daniel popularity over time - girls
8,279 total births recorded since 1900 (Daniel as girls' name)
Daniel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Daniel's strongest decade.
345,537 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Daniel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5,679
1880s
5,679 births
- 1890s 5,185
1890s
5,185 births
- 1900s 5,036
1900s
5,036 births
- 1910s 23,978
1910s
23,978 births
- 1920s 43,407
1920s
43,407 births
- 1930s 47,998
1930s
47,998 births
- 1940s 112,778
1940s
112,778 births
- 1950s
1950s
243,727 births
- 1960s
1960s
242,020 births
- 1970s
1970s
244,454 births
- 1980s
1980s
345,537 births
- 1990s
1990s
272,360 births
- 2000s
2000s
203,975 births
- 2010s 133,952
2010s
133,952 births
- 2020s 52,726
2020s
52,726 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 345,537 births (17% of all-time use).
How Daniel compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Daniel's total volume
Daniel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Daniel by state
Where Daniel concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 262,947 | 13.3% |
| #2 | New York | | 179,652 | 9.1% |
| #3 | Texas | | 132,769 | 6.7% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 113,914 | 5.7% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 112,111 | 5.7% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 91,942 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 82,008 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Florida | | 71,477 | 3.6% |
California share of Daniel's total US births 13.3%
Even split
262,947 of 1,982,812 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Daniel appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Daniel? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 1,982,812 babies named Daniel. Today it holds rank #16 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1985, with 38,559 births.
When was Daniel most popular? ▼
Daniel was most popular in the 1980s decade with 345,537 total births. The single peak year was 1985.
Where is Daniel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Daniel are California (262,947 births), New York (179,652 births), Texas (132,769 births).
How long has the name Daniel been used? ▼
Records for Daniel go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Daniel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Danny, Dan, Dana, Dante, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Daniel's data
- Daniel's decade-level peak was the 1980s (345,537 total births); usage has since declined to 52,726 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Daniels (262,947 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Daniel
Nearby Names Like Daniel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Daniel
Danny Boy
#636 286,648 births
Dan Boy
#1921 106,554 births
Dana Boy
#4201 53,287 births
Dante Boy
#322 51,587 births
Dane Boy
#874 33,593 births
Compare Daniel side by side: Daniel vs Danny Daniel vs Dan Daniel vs Dana
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Daniel
Jack #15
756,943 births · Peak 1927
Samuel #17
820,196 births · Peak 2001
Sebastian #14
218,055 births · Peak 2016
Michael #18
4,426,753 births · Peak 1957
Ezra #13
106,761 births · Peak 2024
Ethan #19
487,389 births · Peak 2004
Levi #12
215,013 births · Peak 2022
Asher #20
111,227 births · Peak 2022
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Daniel: #16 Boys' Name - 1,982,812 Births, Peak 1985." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/daniel. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Daniel draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.