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Daniel Family History

Daniel Surname Meaning

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. 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 . Americanized or Germanized form of Slovenian Danijel: from the Biblical personal name Danijel ‘Daniel’ (see 1 above).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Danis, Dankel, Dangel, Daniels, Angel, Bandel, Danieli, Faniel

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Where is the Daniel family from?

You can see how Daniel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Daniel family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Daniel families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 177 Daniel families living in Georgia. This was about 16% of all the recorded Daniel's in USA. Georgia had the highest population of Daniel families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Daniel surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Daniel ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Daniel. 21% of Daniel men worked as a Farmer and 8% of Daniel women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Daniel were Farm Laborer and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Daniel | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    21%
  • Laborer
    19%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Farm Laborer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    8%
  • Cook
    8%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Housewife
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Daniel family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 639,000 census records available for the last name Daniel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Daniel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 63,000 immigration records available for the last name Daniel. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 143,000 military records available for the last name Daniel. For the veterans among your Daniel ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Daniel lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Daniel life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Daniel in 1941 was 40, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Daniel

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