"My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me."
Biblical Name · Hebrew Origin
Daniel Meaning in the Bible
Daniel
boy
Daniel means "God is my judge," a Hebrew name. In the King James Bible, Daniel was taken captive to Babylon, interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dreams and stayed faithful in prayer. Thrown to the lions, he said, "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths" (Daniel 6:22).
Is Daniel in the Bible?
Yes — Daniel appears in the King James Bible, including Daniel 1:8.
Pronunciation:/DAN-yul/
What does Daniel mean?
Daniel is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is my judge". Daniel means "God is my judge" in Hebrew, reflecting a life lived entirely under divine authority rather than human opinion. The prophet Daniel is renowned for his unwavering faithfulness to God even while serving in the courts of pagan empires.
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Editor’s reflection
'God is my judge' — a court official who kept praying with the windows open.
Daniel (דָּנִיֵּאל) joins dan, 'judge,' with El, 'God' — 'God is my judge' or 'God has judged.' For an exile working inside the Babylonian and then Persian administrations, the name amounts to a jurisdictional claim: whatever court he serves in, he answers elsewhere.
Babylon tried to change it. Daniel 1:7 records the renaming of the four young men: Daniel to Belteshazzar, Hananiah to Shadrach, Mishael to Meshach, Azariah to Abednego — replacing Hebrew theophoric names with Babylonian ones honouring Bel and Nebo. The book then pointedly keeps calling him Daniel.
The lions' den is a story about administrative law as much as courage. Daniel 6 has the satraps engineering a thirty-day decree specifically because 'we shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.' His response was not defiance but continuity: he 'kneeled upon his knees three times a day... as he did aforetime' (Daniel 6:10). He simply did not change his routine.
Daniel has been a top-50 US boys' name for over half a century and top-15 for much of it. It offers three distinct nicknames — Dan, Danny, Dane — and an unusually clean profile: no spelling variants to police, no pronunciation drift, and a namesake with no recorded moral failure anywhere in the book.
“My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me.”
Why parents choose Daniel today
- •Meaning 'God is my judge' — a name about ultimate accountability
- •Namesake serves faithfully under four pagan kings without compromise
- •Nicknames Dan, Danny, and Dane cover several registers
- •Top-50 in the US for more than fifty consecutive years
What does Daniel mean in the Bible?
Daniel means "God is my judge" and is a name of Hebrew origin. Below is what Scripture and Christian tradition attach to that meaning.
Daniel means "God is my judge" in Hebrew, reflecting a life lived entirely under divine authority rather than human opinion. The prophet Daniel is renowned for his unwavering faithfulness to God even while serving in the courts of pagan empires.
Taken captive to Babylon as a young man, Daniel refused to compromise his faith. He interpreted dreams for kings, received apocalyptic visions about the future of nations, and survived being thrown into a den of lions because God shut the mouths of the beasts.
Daniel's commitment to prayer — praying three times daily even when it was made illegal — serves as an enduring example of spiritual discipline. His name reminds every believer that ultimately it is God's judgment, not man's, that defines our lives.
Where does Daniel appear in the Bible (KJV)?
Daniel is connected to 1 key passage in the King James Bible, beginning with Daniel 1:8. Each verse is quoted in full below.
"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat."
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What are the variants and nicknames of Daniel?
Daniel has 3 recorded variants, short forms, and translations across languages and biblical traditions.
Common nicknames
Dan
Danny
Dani
Who was Daniel in the Bible?
Daniel is most closely associated with the Bible character of the same name. Their story is the reason the name carries the weight it does.
Read About Daniel in the BibleWhich books of the Bible mention Daniel?
Daniel is mentioned across 3 books of the Bible. Follow any book below to read it in the KJV.
What is the spiritual meaning of Daniel?
Daniel's name proclaims that God alone is the true judge. His life of unwavering integrity in hostile environments inspires us to live faithfully regardless of cultural pressures.
Related Promises of God
Promises connected to the meaning of the name Daniel:
Related Reading
Continue your study with related content from across our library:
Devotional
Hebrews 13:8 — Meaning & Devotional
God's Faithfulness
Devotional
Daniel 6:10 — Meaning & Devotional
Faithfulness
Commentary
Daniel 6:10 Commentary
In-depth study • Faithfulness in Adversity
Bible Story
Daniel in the Lions' Den
Daniel 6 • Faithfulness Under Persecution
Character
Daniel in the Bible
The Faithful Exile
Commentary
Judges 2:10 Commentary
In-depth study • Generational Faithfulness
What names are related to Daniel?
Names like Daniel
Other Hebrew biblical names that share the spirit of "God is my judge" — discovered by matching meaning category and origin.
Names that pair well with Daniel
Sibling sets, middle-name combinations, and complementary pairings chosen for matching origin, meaning, and similar syllable weight.
Share the meaning of Daniel
Download a printable name card with the KJV verse and meaning — perfect for Pinterest, Instagram, or a baptism keepsake.
Daniel name meaning: frequently asked questions
Daniel 1:7 records that the prince of the eunuchs gave Babylonian names to the four Hebrew youths as part of their assimilation into royal service. Daniel's Hebrew name honours El; Belteshazzar invokes Bel, a Babylonian deity. The renaming was a deliberate attempt to reshape identity, and the book resists it by continuing to use his Hebrew name throughout the narrative.
Yes — Daniel appears in the King James Bible, including Daniel 1:8.
Daniel means "God is my judge." It is a Hebrew name. The King James Bible uses it in Daniel 1:8, so the meaning is carried by a real person in Scripture.
Common questions about the name Daniel
Can I download a free King James Bible PDF to study the name Daniel?
Yes. The complete King James Bible is available as a free PDF download — all 66 books, 1,189 chapters, ready to read offline or print. No sign-up required.
Where can I read the full biblical context for Daniel?
You can read every verse where Daniel appears in the King James Bible by downloading the free KJV PDF or reading online. The download page also includes a bookmarked Book of Psalms KJV PDF for easy reference.