Find out how popular the last name Daniels is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Daniels.

Daniels, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Daniels surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Daniels in America

Daniels is the 187th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Daniels surname appeared 146,570 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 50 people would have the surname Daniels.

We can also compare 2010 data for Daniels to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Daniels

The surname Daniels is of English origin, deriving from the personal name Daniel, which itself is of Hebrew origin meaning "God is my judge." The name Daniel was brought to England by the Normans after the Conquest of 1066.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Daniels date back to the late 12th century, found in various tax rolls and legal documents from that era. These early spellings include Danieles, Danielis, and Danyelis, reflecting the transition from the Norman-French to the more modern English spelling.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Robert Daniels, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1208. Another early reference can be found in the Curia Regis Rolls of Berkshire from 1214, which record a William Daniels.

The surname Daniels is also found in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholdings throughout England commissioned by William the Conqueror. While the Domesday Book doesn't contain surnames as we understand them today, it does list individuals with the personal name Daniel, some of whom may have been ancestors of later Daniels families.

As the surname grew in popularity, it became associated with various place names throughout England, leading to variations such as Danielston and Danyelston. These place names likely refer to settlements or estates owned or inhabited by early Daniels families.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Daniels include the English poet and playwright Samuel Daniels (1562-1619), whose works include the plays "The Tragedy of Cleopatra" and "The Vision of the Twelve Goddesses." Another prominent figure was the English Puritan minister and scholar William Daniels (1571-1628), who served as the rector of St. Michael's Church in Stamford, Lincolnshire.

In the arts, one of the most famous Daniels was the English actor and comedian Jack Daniels (1884-1965), known for his work in music hall and vaudeville performances. The American journalist and author Jonathan Daniels (1939-1981) also achieved recognition for his coverage of the Civil Rights Movement and his book "The Siberian Curse."

Additionally, the surname Daniels has been carried by several notable military figures throughout history, such as the English naval officer Sir Charles Daniels (1661-1721), who served as a rear admiral in the Royal Navy during the War of the Spanish Succession.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Daniels

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Daniels.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Daniels was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Daniels has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Daniels was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Daniels, please contact us.

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