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Daniels History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Daniels History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Israel
Scotland

Etymology of Daniels

What does the name Daniels mean?

One of the most common classes of Scottish surnames is the patronymic surname, which arose out of the vernacular and religious naming traditions. The vernacular or regional naming tradition is the oldest and most pervasive type of patronymic surname. According to this custom, names were originally composed of vocabulary elements from the local language. Patronymic surnames of this type were usually derived from the personal name of the original bearer's father. The surname Daniels is derived from the ancient name Daniel, which means God has judged. 1

Early Origins of the Daniels family

The surname Daniels 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 Daniels family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Daniels 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 Daniels History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Daniels Spelling Variations

Scottish surnames are distinguished by a multitude of spelling variations because, over the centuries, the names were frequently translated into and from Gaelic. 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 Daniels has also been spelled Daniels, Daniell, Daneil, Danyell, Danel, Daniers, Danyei and many more.

Early Notables of the Daniels 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...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Daniels Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Daniels World Ranking

In the United States, the name Daniels is the 150^th most popular surname with an estimated 154,194 people with that name. 6 However, in Canada, the name Daniels is ranked the 800^th most popular surname with an estimated 6,711 people with that name. 7 And in Australia, the name Daniels is the 555^th popular surname with an estimated 6,965 people with that name. 8 New Zealand ranks Daniels as 766^th with 955 people. 9 The United Kingdom ranks Daniels as 385^th with 16,655 people. 10 Netherlands ranks Daniels as 875^th with 2,296 people. 11 South Africa ranks Daniels as 163^rd with 37,761 people. 12

Daniels migration to the United States +

Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Daniels, or a variant listed above:

Daniels Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Wentworth Daniels, who landed in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1640 13

Daniels Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Daniels, who arrived in Mississippi in 1799 13

Daniels Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Samuel E. Daniels, (b. 1806), aged 41, Barbadian merchant traveling aboard the ship "Fairmont" arriving in New York in 1848 the family was going to Philadelphia 14
Mrs. Sophia Daniels, (b. 1814), aged 34, Barbadian settler traveling aboard the ship "Fairmont" arriving in New York in 1848 the family was going to Philadelphia 14
Mr. Edward Daniels, (b. 1840), aged 8, Barbadian settler traveling aboard the ship "Fairmont" arriving in New York in 1848 the family was going to Philadelphia 14
Miss Jane Daniels, (b. 1840), aged 8, Barbadian settler traveling aboard the ship "Fairmont" arriving in New York in 1848 the family was going to Philadelphia 14
Mr. Julius Daniels, (b. 1841), aged 7, Barbadian settler traveling aboard the ship "Fairmont" arriving in New York in 1848 the family was going to Philadelphia, he is shown returning in 1865 aboard the "Humming Bird" 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Daniels Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Richard Daniels, (b. 1863), aged 40, Cornish miner, from St. Ives, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Umbria" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 26th July 1903 en route to Calumet, Michigan, USA 15

Daniels migration to Australia +

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

Daniels Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Mary Daniels, British Convict who was convicted in Essex, England for life, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
Mr. Robert Daniels, British Convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
Mr. John Daniels, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Fame" on 9th October 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 17
Thomas Daniels, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Almorah" on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia 18
Duggan Daniels, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Agamemnon" on April 22, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 19
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Daniels 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:

Daniels Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas Daniels, aged 35, a labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Maori" in 1864
Miss Eliza Daniels, (b. 1850), aged 17, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Lancashire Witch" sailing to Auckland and Lyttelton, New Zealand on 29th July 1867 20
Miss Harriet Daniels, (b. 1847), aged 27, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Peter Denny" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 26th July 1874 21
Francis Daniels, aged 20, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alumbagh" in 1875 20
Caroline Daniels, aged 26, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alumbagh" in 1875 20

Contemporary Notables of the name Daniels (post 1700) +

Charles L. Daniels (1939-2023), American Democratic Party politician from Arkansas, State Auditor of Arkansas from 2011 to 2015, Arkansas Secretary of State, and as Commissioner of State Lands
Robert Eugene "Bob" Daniels (1935-2022), American college basketball player and coach from Tutor Key, Kentucky
Charles Edward "Charlie" Daniels (1936-2020), American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009, and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016
David Daniels (1933-2020), American conductor and author from Penn Yan, New York
Charles W. Daniels (1943-2019), American jurist, Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court from 2007 to 2018
LaShawn Ameen Daniels (1977-2019), American Grammy Award winning songwriter, known for his work with Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child, Michael Jackson,Toni Braxton, Jennifer Lopez, Whitney Houston and many more
Isabelle Frances Daniels (1937-2017), American three-time gold and two-time silver medalist sprinter, active in the 1950s
Melvin Joe Daniels (1944-2015), American professional basketball player, two-time ABA Most Valuable Player and a seven-time ABA All-Star, inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012
Harold Jack Daniels (1927-2013), American Major League Baseball outfielder
Bebe Daniels (1901-1971), American actress, singer, dancer, writer, producer and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Daniels family +

Arrow Air Flight 1285

Mr. Walter G Daniels (1964-1985), American Private 1st Class from Columbus, Ohio, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 22

HMS Hood

Mr. Charles G Daniels (b. 1918), English Stoker 1st Class serving for the Royal Navy from Lambeth, London, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 23

HMS Repulse

Mr. Walter Frederick Daniels, British Shipwright 4th Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 24

HMS Royal Oak

George Daniels (1920-1939), British Stoker 2nd Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 25

Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)

William Alan Daniels (1948-1988), American Research Chemist from Belle Mead, New Jersey, America, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 26

RMS Titanic

Mr. Sidney Edward Daniels, aged 18, English Steward from Southsea, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking by escaping in collapsible B 27
Miss Sarah Daniels, aged 33, Canadian First Class passenger from Montreal, Quebec who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping in life boat 8 27

The Daniels 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/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"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
"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
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)
Barbados archives retrieved 2nd November 2021 from https://attheBarbadosarchives.wordpress.com/2003/07/18/Barbados-heritage-passenger-lists-and-Barbados-departures/
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Almorah voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1817 with 180 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/almorah/1817
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Agamemnon voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1820 with 179 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/agamemnon/1820
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Pan Am Flight 103's victims: A list of those killed 25 years ago | syracuse.com. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/pan_am_flight_103s_victims_a_list_of_those_killed_25_years_ago.html
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html