Daniel vs David
Daniel and Davidcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Daniel was ranked #13 and David #45 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #37 and David #104 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2018, Daniel was ranked #39 and David #97 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2020, Daniel was ranked #41 and David #84 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #52 and David #71 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #59 and David #64 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Daniel was ranked #66 and David #88 among boys in Norway.
Daniel and David over time
Daniel and David appear together in 6 published lists, across 331 years of shared records. Daniel held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, David in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 5 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
David reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Daniel in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1979, Daniel moved ahead of David in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #4 and #3 the year before became #2 and #4.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Daniel and David averaged 32.2 places apart, ending at #59 and #64.
- Longest-running competitions
Daniel and David were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 65 years, from 1952 to 2018, ending at #39 and #97.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Daniel #2 in 1996, David #32 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 53 of those years, David in 28.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #3 in 1989, David #31 in 2005.
The order changed in 1973: Daniel moved ahead. In 1972 they stood at #138 and #104; by 1973 that had become #106 and #107.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #66, David #88.
New Zealand · Boys66 shared years, 1954–2020
Daniel held the stronger position in 43 of those years, David in 23.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #1 in 1980, David #1 in 1960.
The order changed in 1980: Daniel moved ahead. In 1979 they stood at #3 and #2; by 1980 that had become #1 and #3.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Daniel #41, David #84.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys65 shared years, 1952–2018
Daniel held the stronger position in 38 of those years, David in 27.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 1979, David #1 in 1961.
The order changed in 1979: Daniel moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #4 and #3; by 1979 that had become #2 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Daniel #39, David #97.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 25 of those years, David in 37.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #3 in 2009, David #1 in 1985.
The order changed in 2002: Daniel moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #11 and #7; by 2002 that had become #6 and #9.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #13, David #45.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Daniel held the stronger position in 29 of those years, David in 0.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 1996, David #32 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Daniel #59, David #64.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Daniel held the stronger position in 26 of those years, David in 2.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 2010, David #9 in 1997.
The order changed in 1999: Daniel moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #12 and #9; by 1999 that had become #9 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Daniel #37, David #104.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Daniel | David |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'God is my judge', referencing the biblical prophet Daniel. | Commonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdænjəl/ | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #13 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #45 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Both Daniel and David share a recorded Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Daniel and David both have 2 syllables.
- Daniel's recorded meaning differs from David's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Daniel
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #280 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New Zealand, in 1980 (recorded 1954–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #64 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
David
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #167 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2018
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #88 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys