Dan

The first name Dan is an English short form of Daniel (Dānīēl), a classic Hebrew version of the Old Aramaic name Daniyyel (דָּנִיֵּאל). Translated, it means "God is my judge" or in shortened form also "my judge is God".

What does the name Dan mean?

Dan is an English short form of the name Daniel (Dānīēl), which has a traditional Hebrew origin and is derived from the Old Aramaic Daniyyel (דָּנִיֵּאל). The literal translation is "God is my judge" or also "my judge is God". The roots of the name are found in the ancient Hebrew components din (דִּין), meaning "to judge" or "to rule", and el (אֵל), which stands for "God". Dan is also biblically significant and refers to the son of Jacob, who is considered an ancestor of one of the tribes of Israel. Some sources see a connection to the Old Norse name Danr, which means "Dane". Additionally, Dan is an abbreviation for various names, including Zvjezdan/Zvezdan/Zwezdan, meaning "the star-bright" (Croatian/Serbian), and Bogdan, meaning "given by God" or "God's gift" (Slavic). In Vietnamese, Dan means "new", while in Mandarin Chinese it means "red" or "the cinnabar".

Where does the name Dan come from?

Dan has its roots in Old Aramaic and Old Hebrew and means "God is my judge". The word parts consist of din (דִּין), meaning "to judge" or "to rule", and el (אֵל), meaning "God". The languages in which this name appears include Biblical, Chinese, Danish, German, English, French, Hebrew, Mandarin, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Swedish, Spanish, Czech, and Vietnamese.

How do you pronounce Dan?

The pronunciation of Dan is monosyllabic and concise. In German, it is pronounced as "Dan" [dan] or [daːn], starting with an open A sound that conveys a certain directness. The final N sound provides a clear closure. Due to its brevity, the name Dan radiates strength and straightforwardness, appearing simple, present, and self-assured.

When is the name day of Dan?

The name day for Dan is celebrated on July 21 and December 11.

Popularity

In Germany, Dan is among the popular first names, currently ranking 1,098th in the list of most common male baby names. Its best placement was in 2008, reaching 162nd place. In the last ten years, the name has been given about 300 times, bringing it to 1,212th place during this period. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 1,051st. On an international level, the rankings of Dan vary in the baby name charts of different countries.

Nicknames & pet names

Danche / Dani / Danne / Danner / Danno / Danny / Dänu

Famous people

• Dan Amboyer (American actor)
• Dan Aykroyd (U.S. actor)
• Dan Bălan (Formerly a singer and producer in the Romanian band O-Zone)
• Dan Berindei (Historian from England)
• Dan Beutler (Swedish handball player)
• Dan Brown (Author, e.g., Illuminati)
• Dan Browne (American long-distance runner)
• Dan Buenning (American football player)
• Dan Christian Ghattas (German author)
• Dan Dasilva (Canadian ice hockey player)
• Dan Espinoza (Character from the series Lucifer)
• Dan Ferrone (Football player from Canada)
• Dan Fitzpatrick (Author from the USA)
• Dan Fraizer (Rugby player from Great Britain)
• Dan Gadzuric (Basketball player from the Netherlands)
• Dan Gaspar (American soccer manager)
• Dan Howell (Blogger)
• Dan Kardas (Canadian ski jumper)
• Dan Kelly (American ice hockey player)
• Dan Luger (Rugby player from Great Britain)