Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Danielle

Danielle (occasionally rendered Daniѐle) is the French form of the female name Daniela, itself a Latinate form of the male name Daniel. The name Daniel comes from the Hebrew word דָּנִיֵּאל (daniy'el) which translates to “God is my judge.” The name is borne of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament by a prophet whose story is told in the Book of Daniel. Daniel was a Jewish slave in the city of Babylon to the Assyrian king Nebuchadnezzar about 600 years before Christ. Fortunately Daniel was able to gain favor with the king through his ability to interpret dreams which kept him safe for awhile. However, he was later thrown into a lion’s den by his enemies, only to be saved by an angel of God who held the lions’ mouths shut to prevent Daniel’s death. This particular Biblical story became popular in the Middle Ages and was often depicted in “miracle plays” which gave the name further prominence; it is mainly for this reason the name has persisted for so long. Daniela is the feminized spelling preferred in Italian and Spanish-speaking countries as well as the eastern European and Slavic countries. The French use the form Danielle which is now frequently used in the English-speaking countries along with Daniella.

All About the Baby Name – Danielle

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME DANIELLE

The number Eight personality has everything to do with power, wealth and abundance. Somehow, this personality has been blessed on the material plane, but their authoritative and problem-solving traits provide evidence that their good fortunes are not just the luck of the lottery. They are well earned. This is the personality of CEOs and high-ranking military personnel. Eights are intensely active, hard-driving individuals. Success is only meaningful to them after a job well-done.  They are remarkable in their ability to see the larger picture right down to the smallest details, and organize a strategy around success. They then have the ability to direct a group around them toward any goal, and realize individual potential to get the most out of their team.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME DANIELLE

While not as popular in America as Daniela (thanks, in part, to the rising Hispanic population), Danielle has been around on the American charts for a lot longer. Danielle debuted on the U.S. Top 1000 list in 1938 (Daniela did not show up until 1973). Although the name languished in usage for the first 20+ years, Danielle began making big strides up the popularity charts in the 1960s (advancing almost 600 positions in that decade alone). The name became a Top 100 favorite by 1971 but she didn’t just stop there. The high point of Danielle’s success was from 1984 to 1994 during which time the name maintained a Top 20 position on the list of most commonly used girl names. Heavily used, Danielle was at the top of her game in the 1980s and 1990s. The year 2005 marked the first time in 34 straight years that Danielle was not a Top 100 favorite. It appears as if her fashionable days may be behind her.  Despite her come-and-go popularity on the U.S. charts, Danielle remains a lovely, elegant, and sophisticated sounding name. It’s hard to argue with the French when it comes to taste and style. Just consider some of the other lovely French female names with the “elle” suffix: Michelle, Estelle, Gabrielle Isabelle and Noëlle to name a few. They are deceivingly simple and supremely graceful. “God is [Danielle’s] judge” and he gives this name a perfect 10!

Quick Facts

ON DANIELLE

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

French

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

261

PRONUNCIATION:

dan-YEHL

SIMPLE MEANING:

God is my judge; God is the (only) judge

Characteristics

OF DANIELLE

Authoritative

Powerful

Tough

Tenacious

Wealthy

Problem-solver

Achiever

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Danielle

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME DANIELLE

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Danielle

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME DANIELLE

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Danielle


Popular Songs

ON DANIELLE

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Danielle


Famous People

NAMED DANIELLE

Danielle Steele (author)
Danielle Fishel (actress)
Danielle Ammaccapane (golfer)
Danielle Harris (actress)
Danielle Steele (author)
Danielle Fishel (actress)
Danielle Ammaccapane (golfer)
Danielle Harris (actress)
Danielle Steele (author)
Danielle Fishel (actress)
Danielle Ammaccapane (golfer)
Danielle Harris (actress)

Children of Famous People

NAMED DANIELLE

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Danielle

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME DANIELLE

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Danielle