Show ContentsDaniel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in Scotland were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. Scottish patronymic names emerged as early as the mid-9th century. The patronyms were derived from a variety of given names that were of many different origins. The surname Daniel is derived from the ancient name Daniel, which means God has judged. [1]

Early Origins of the Daniel family

The surname Daniel was first found in Gloucestershire where Alicia Daniel was one of the first records of the name was found temp. Henry III to Edward I. Simon Danyel was later found in Somerset. [2] "The church [of Beckingon, Somerset] contains the remains of Samuel Daniel, poet-laureate and historian, who died here in 1619." [3]

Some of the family were found in Yorkshire in early times. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Beatrix Danyell; Robertus Danyell; Thomas Daniell; Oliva Danyl; and Teffan Danyll. [2]

"In Devonshire the name of Daniel is now best represented in the Holsworthy district. There was a John Daneyll, of "Brighe broke," in the hundred of Wonford, Devon, in the 13th century." [4]

Up in Scotland, the surname recorded in Aberdeen as both a forename and surname. "Daniel, son of Herleuine, witnessed a charter by Uchtred, son of Fergus, lord of Galloway, c. 1166, and another early individual of the name gave origin to the ancient barony of Danzielstoun in the parish of Kilmalcolm. By the Gaels this name was adopted as an equivalent for Donald." [5]

Early History of the Daniel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Daniel research. Another 240 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1148, 1198, 1279, 1379, 1562, 1619, 1626, 1646, 1660, 1669, 1681, 1703, 1705, 1718 and 1789 are included under the topic Early Daniel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Daniel Spelling Variations

The frequent translations of surnames from and into Gaelic, accounts for the multitude of spelling variations found in Scottish surnames. Furthermore, the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent because medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. The different versions of a surname, such as the inclusion of the patronymic prefix "Mac", frequently indicated a religious or Clan affiliation, or even a division of the family. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into Scotland, accelerating accentuating the alterations to various surnames. The name Daniel has also been spelled Daniels, Daniell, Daneil, Danyell, Danel, Daniers, Danyei and many more.

Early Notables of the Daniel family

Notable among the family at this time was

  • John Daniel, a 17th century musician, born in Somerset, England
  • Samuel Daniel (1562-1619), an English poet and historian famous for his sonnets
  • Jeffrey Daniel (1626-1681), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Marlborough (1660)
  • John Daniel, (fl. 1681), an English sea captain who charted part of the coast of Australia in 1681

Daniel World Ranking

In the United States, the name Daniel is the 334th most popular surname with an estimated 82,071 people with that name. [6] However, in France, the name Daniel is ranked the 161st most popular surname with an estimated 20,107 people with that name. [7] And in Australia, the name Daniel is the 434th popular surname with an estimated 8,684 people with that name. [8] New Zealand ranks Daniel as 880th with 832 people. [9] The United Kingdom ranks Daniel as 819th with 8,289 people. [10]


United States Daniel migration to the United States +

Some of the first North American settlers with Daniel name or one of its variants:

Daniel Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mr. Daniel who settled in Virginia in 1606
  • Thomas Daniel, who arrived in Maryland in 1663 [11]
Daniel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Daniel Daniel, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 [11]
  • James Daniel, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1766 [11]
  • Alex and Francis Daniel, who settled in Maryland in 1774
Daniel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mary Daniel, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 [11]
  • Michael Daniel, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 [11]
  • Owen Daniel, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 [11]
  • T Daniel, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 [11]
  • Tho Daniel, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 [11]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Daniel Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mr. James Daniel, (b. 1878), aged 22, Cornish miner, from Camborne, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Oceanic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 29th August 1900 en route to Hancock, Michigan, USA [12]
  • Mr. William Daniel, (b. 1868), aged 32, Cornish labourer travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 10th March 1900 en route to Crystal Falls, Michigan, USA [12]
  • Mr. Richard B Daniel, (b. 1875), aged 29, Cornish salesman, from Penzance, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 3rd September 1904 en route to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA [12]

Canada Daniel migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Daniel Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Daniel lived in Chamballon, Quebec in 1695
Daniel Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Madeleine Daniel married in 1709 in Boucherville, Quebec
  • Jacques Daniel, son of François and Marie, who married Madeleine Barbeau, daughter of Jean and Marie, in Montreal, Quebec on 18th January 1717 [13]
  • Joseph Daniel, son of Thomas and Barbe, who married Marie-Françoise Bilodeau, daughter of Antoine and Geneviève, in Saint-François-de-l'île-d'Orléans, Quebec on 30th September 1726 [13]
  • Jean Daniel, who landed in Canada in 1738
  • François Daniel, son of Thomas and Barbe, who married Marie-Catherine Sansaveu, daughter of Pierre and Marie-Madeleine, in Beaumont, Quebec on 23rd August 1756 [13]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Daniel migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Daniel Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss. Elizabeth Donally Daniel, (Cochlin, Couglan, Cocklan), (b. 1770), aged 31, Irish convict who was convicted in Tipperary, Ireland for 7 years for being a Irish rebel, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1850 [14]
  • Miss Martha Daniel, (David), (b. 1778), aged 26, Welsh convict who was convicted in Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales for life for burglary, transported aboard the "Exmouth" on 2nd January 1804, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [15]
  • Miss Margaret Daniel, Welsh convict who was convicted in Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales for 7 years, transported aboard the "Broxbournebury" in January 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [16]
  • Mr. William Daniel, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [17]
  • Mr. Henry Daniel, (Pratt, Edward), English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" in May 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [18]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Daniel migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Daniel Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Ailan Daniel, who landed in Rangitikei, New Zealand in 1840
  • A. Daniel, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Wild Duck" in 1861
  • John Daniel, aged 34, a carpenter, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
  • Eliza Daniel, aged 33, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
  • Clara Daniel, aged 10, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Daniel migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. [19]
Daniel Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • John Daniel and his son settled in Barbados in 1678

Contemporary Notables of the name Daniel (post 1700) +

  • Clarence Welborn Daniel (1926-2016), American attorney and politician, Member of the Florida House of Representatives from Lake County (1957-1964)
  • Marion Price Daniel Sr. (1910-1988), American politician, Democratic U.S. Senator and the 38th Governor of the state of Texas
  • Rollin Augustus "Rod" Daniel III (1942-2016), American three-time Primetime Emmy Award nominated television and film director, known for Teen Wolf (1985), Beethoven's 2nd (1993), K-9 (1989) and Home Alone 4 (2002)
  • Brigadier-General Maurice Wiley Daniel (1896-1986), American Acting Chief of Staff, 4th Army (1949) [20]
  • William Partlow Daniel (1915-2006), Governor of Guam and Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives
  • Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel (1846-1911), American distiller and the founder of Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey distillery
  • William A. Daniel, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories
  • Laurance Thomas David Daniel (1942-2023), Wales international rugby union player
  • Mr. James Drew Daniel C.B.E., M.B.E., British Brigadier for the Royal Army, was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 [21]
  • Elsa Daniel (1936-2017), born Elsa Nilda Gómez Scapatti, an Argentine film actress
  • ... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMAS Sydney II
  • Mr. Kevin Henry Daniel (1912-1941), Australian Ordnance Artificer 4th Class from Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking [22]
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Frank Daniel, British Ordinary Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking [23]
Prince of Wales colliery
  • Mr. John Daniel (b. 1853), Welsh coal miner who was working at the Prince of Wales Colliery in Abercarn, Wales on the 11th September 1878 when there was a coal mine explosion; he died [24]
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Robert Williams Daniel, aged 27, American First Class passenger from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping in life boat 3 [25]
USS Arizona
  • Mr. Alfred E. Daniel, American Gunners Mate First Class working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking [26]
  • Mr. Lloyd Maxton Daniel, American Yeoman Second Class from Montana, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking [26]


The Daniel Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Nec timeo nec sperno
Motto Translation: I neither fear nor despise.


Suggested Readings for the name Daniel +

  • John Daniel, Sr., 1724-1819, of Essex County, Virginia and Laurens County, South Carolina: His Virginia Ancestry and Some of His Descendants by Christine Gee.

  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  5. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  8. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  9. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  10. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  11. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  12. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  13. Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  15. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/experiment
  16. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/broxbournebury
  17. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
  18. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  20. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, January 10) Maurice Daniel. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Daniel/Maurice_Wiley/USA.html
  21. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
  22. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
  23. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  24. Entombed in flood and flame (retrieved 3rd August 2021). Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20120603025705/http://www.crosskeys.me.uk/history/prince.htm
  25. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
  26. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html


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