The fifth most popular boy name in the US in 2008 and in 2007 was Daniel.
Daniel means "God is my judge" in Hebrew. It originates in the book of Daniel, in the Bible. Daniel was a prophet who rose to prominence in Babylonian court as a dream interpreter to the king.
The name Daniel has been in the top twenty boys' name list for over fifty years.
Variants and nicknames of Daniel are used in Hebrew and in English (Dan, Dani, Danny), as well as in Spanish (Dania), Polish (Danuta), Dutch (Daan), and many more.
2009 Update:
Daniel has moved back up to 7. Will the 5th position it held in 2007 and 2008 be its highest? Is it destined to slowly decline in popularity?
2010 Update:
The small decline to number 8 is relatively insignificant. The question is still whether the decline will continue slowly until the name fades away.
