Daniel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Scotland

Etymology of Daniel

What does the name Daniel mean?

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

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

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.)

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.)

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.)

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) +

Rhoda A. Daniel (b. 1920), American sergeant in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, first all-female, all-African-American battalion to server overseas
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
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Daniel family +

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

USS Indianapolis

Harold William Daniel (1920-2002), American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he survived the sinking 27

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.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/broxbournebury
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, January 10) Maurice Daniel. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Daniel/Maurice_Wiley/USA.html
"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
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
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
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew