NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Danny

A masculine diminutive of Daniel, meaning "God is my judge".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Danny is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Danny popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #514, with 76 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 565 births.

This profile covers 8,434 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 13% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 10,040 living people in the UK are called Danny. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Danny ranked #514 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 76 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 565 boys were registered as Danny.
  • Danny ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #78 in 2024.
  • About 10,040 living people in the UK are estimated to have Danny as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#514

2024

Births in 2024

76

Latest year

Peak year

1996

565 births

Estimated living

10,040

2026

Meaning

What does Danny mean?

Danny is a diminutive form of the name Daniel, which has Hebrew origins. The name Daniel means "God is my judge" in Hebrew, derived from the words "dīn" meaning "to judge" and "el" meaning "God." It is believed to have originated during the biblical period in ancient Israel.

The name Daniel gained prominence due to its appearance in the Old Testament's Book of Daniel, where Daniel was a Hebrew prophet who lived during the Babylonian captivity. This biblical figure's fame contributed significantly to the widespread use of the name across various cultures and religions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Danny can be traced back to the 12th century, when it appeared as a diminutive form of Daniel in English records. Over time, it gained popularity as a standalone name, particularly in English-speaking countries.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Danny. One of the most famous was Danny Kaye (1913-1987), an American actor, singer, and comedian who gained widespread acclaim for his performances in films and on stage.

Another notable figure was Danny Thomas (1912-1991), an American comedian, actor, and producer, best known for his television sitcom "Make Room for Daddy" and for founding the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

In the world of sports, Danny Ainge (born 1959) is a former American basketball player and coach, who won two NBA championships with the Boston Celtics and later served as the team's president of basketball operations.

Danny Glover (born 1946) is an American actor and activist, renowned for his roles in films such as the "Lethal Weapon" series, "The Color Purple," and "Dreamgirls."

In the literary world, Danny Dunn was the protagonist of a series of children's books written by Raymond Abrashkin and Jay Williams, which were popular in the mid-20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Danny over time

The chart below shows babies named Danny registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Danny, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 76 births in 2024, compared with 565 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Danny
0141283424565199620102024

Decades

Danny by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Danny was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #428 509 5
2010s #244 2,351 10
2000s #137 3,642 10
1990s #108 1,932 4

Geography

Where Danny is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Danny. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Danny ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #78 in 2024.

Northern Ireland
30
Scotland
17

Across the UK

Danny in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#234 in 2024

51 years of NRS records, 1,074 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#78 in 2024

27 years of NISRA records, 621 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Danny

  • Danny Whitehall

    association football player

    football player

    1995-

  • Danny Whitehead

    association football player

    English footballer (born 1993)

    1993-

  • Danny Wilson

    association football player

    Scottish association football player (born 1991)

    1991-

  • Danny Welbeck

    association football player

    English association football player (born 1990)

    1990-

  • Danny Worsnop

    singer; singer-songwriter; musician; songwriter

    English singer

    1990-

  • Danny Williams

    association football player

    British association football player (born 1988)

    1988-

  • Danny Willett

    golfer

    English professional golfer

    1987-

  • Danny Williams

    rugby union player; rugby league player

    English rugby league and rugby union footballer

    1986-

Related

Names similar to Danny

FAQ

Danny: questions and answers

How popular is the name Danny in the UK right now?

In 2024, Danny was ranked #514 for boys in England and Wales, with 76 births registered.

When was Danny most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 565 babies registered as Danny in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Danny?

A masculine diminutive of Daniel, meaning "God is my judge".

How many people are called Danny in the UK?

A total of 8,434 babies have been registered as Danny across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 1,074 more in Scotland and 621 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Danny most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Danny ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #78 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.