Dani: meaning “God is my judge”, origin & popularity

Meaning & origin

What it means

In Spanish use, Dani is a diminutive of Daniel. Daniel means “God is my judge” in Hebrew. In English use, Dani is a diminutive of Danielle. In Hebrew use, Danielle carries the interpretation “God is my judge.” Dani is a variant of Dan. One Hebrew interpretation is “he judged.”

Explained through its name family

Where it comes from

In Spanish use, Dani is a diminutive of Daniel. Daniel is a Hebrew biblical name used in Jewish naming traditions and in languages including English, French, German, Polish, and Czech.

Explained through its name family

How it developed

In Portuguese usage, Dani is a diminutive of Daniel. In Spanish use, Dani is a diminutive of Daniel. The shared background comes through Daniel: Daniel’s Hebrew meaning has remained closely tied to its biblical identity. In Ireland, Daniel has also served as an English-language substitute for Gaelic Domhnall, a separate historical use.

Combines direct and name-family evidence

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1942. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In Spanish use, Dani is a diminutive of Daniel. The history of Daniel gives this family its wider story. The biblical Daniel is remembered for interpreting dreams and surviving the lions’ den. His story was a favourite subject of medieval miracle plays, giving the name a life in performance as well as scripture. Dani is a variant of Dan. The history of Dan gives this family its wider story. Dan appears in biblical tradition, giving it a longstanding religious and cultural context.

Combines direct and name-family evidence

Dani through the years

Babies since 1880: 11,424; 1,085 boys · 10,339 girls
Most popular year: 2022; 462 babies
2025: 389; #747 for girls · #4,158 for boys
2021–25 vs 2016–20: +36%; Rising

Boys Girls

Dani in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1942–2025, per million births of each sex. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

Boys, girls and both

The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 8% boys.

Boys Girls

Five-year rolling share of U.S. births. Blank stretches had too few births to read.

Where it’s given

Most at home inWest Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana

FewerMore, relative to births Not published

2025 births by state of birth. Tiles are equal-sized so small states stay visible. Highest rates: West Virginia (8), Mississippi (13), Louisiana (19), Oklahoma (12), Kentucky (13).

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 364 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 747 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 38.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 25 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (37). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 11,724 as a first name in 2020; 867 as a surname in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Dani’s family of names

In Spanish usage, Dani is a diminutive of Daniel. Dani has a related form in Danielle. In English usage, Dani is a diminutive of Danielle.

Walk Dani’s family in the name graph

Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Around the world

Dani has relatives in 7 languages.

9 related names in 7 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Nicknames & forms 7

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

Spellings & scripts 2

The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.

Across languages 6

Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.

People named Dani

Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.

Similar names

If you love Dani, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Biblical

Sibling ideas

Names that share Dani’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Dani

A sister for Dani

Your shortlist

Dani