Name day
Daniel: Name Day and Patron Saint
Daniel keeps the name day on 17 December, or 30 December on the Old Calendar: the feast of the Prophet Daniel.
- Patron saint
- the Prophet Daniel
- New Calendar
- 17 December
- Old Calendar
- 30 December
- Next name day
- 17 December 2026 (New Calendar) · 30 December 2026 (Old Calendar)
- In the feast calendar
- The feasts of December
The patron saint: the Prophet Daniel
Kept on 17 December, or 30 December on the Old Calendar · Holy Prophet Daniel and the Three Holy Youths
The holy Prophet Daniel, the fourth of the major prophets, was a young man of Israel when the Babylonians took Jerusalem in the years after 600 B.C. and led many of the people away into captivity. At the court of King Nebuchadnezzar he and his three companions, Ananias, Azarias and Misael, were to be trained in the wisdom of the Chaldeans. To keep God’s commandments they lived on vegetables and water instead of the king’s food. God gave them wisdom, and to Daniel He gave the gift of understanding dreams. Daniel revealed the king’s troubling dream and its meaning, giving glory to the true God, and foretold a final kingdom that would never pass away, the Kingdom of Christ. When his three friends would not bow to the golden image, they were cast into the furnace and walked unharmed in the flames, singing to the Lord. Under the Persian king Darius he was slandered and thrown to hungry lions, yet he was kept unharmed. Daniel grieved for the sins of his people and prayed for them, and God showed him the seventy weeks that point to the comings of Christ. He died in old age in the land of exile. The Church keeps his feast with the Three Holy Youths on 17 December (30 December on the Old Calendar) and on the Sundays before the Nativity. The faithful ask his prayers for courage to keep the faith in a hostile place.
What the faithful pray for
- courage to keep the faith among unbelievers
- faithfulness and self-restraint when the world offers luxury
- wisdom and understanding from God
- protection in danger and under false accusation
- those who live far from home or in exile
- repentance and mercy for one’s people
Other saints named Daniel
St Daniel of Moscow
Kept on 4 March, or 17 March on the Old Calendar · Right-believing Prince Daniel of Moscow
The first prince of Moscow, son of St Alexander Nevsky, founder of the Danilov Monastery.
St Daniel II
Kept on 20 December, or 2 January on the Old Calendar
Venerable Daniel
Kept on 7 April, or 20 April on the Old Calendar
Daniel in other languages
| Language | The name | Short forms |
|---|---|---|
| English | Daniel, Daniyal | Dan, Danny, Dani |
| Greek | Δανιήλ, Daniil, Daniel | |
| Russian | Даниил, Данила, Daniil, Danila | Даня, Данилка, Danya, Dania |
| Ukrainian | Данило, Danylo | |
| Bulgarian | Даниел, Daniel | |
| Serbian | Данило, Danilo | |
| Romanian | Daniel | |
| Georgian | Daniel | |
| Arabic | دانيال, Daniel, Danial | |
| Spanish | Daniel | |
| Italian | Daniele |
An icon for Daniel
We don't carry an icon of the Prophet Daniel yet. Ask for it below, and we will write to you when it is in.
Closest to it
Folding diptychRoyal Passion-Bearers (Romanov family) & Feodorovskaya Mother of God
Another royal saint$99$69
Folding diptychSt Nicholas II (passion-bearer) & Guardian Angel
Another royal saint$99$69
Folding diptychChrist (Zvenigorod Saviour) & Vladimir Mother of God
Christ and the Mother of God keep every Christian home$99$69
For every name: the Guardian Angel, given at baptism
Have it consecrated by our priest before it reaches you: Consecration, $49.
A name-day gift for Daniel
Name-Day Gift Set $213$149
A patron saint's folding diptych chosen by first name, a stainless steel crucifix and a prayer rope, in a gift box with a card giving the saint's life and feast day.
The St Nicholas the Wonderworker & Guardian Angel Folding Diptych is chosen, for the Guardian Angel every Orthodox Christian receives at baptism, and the name is filled in.
Other names with this saint
Questions
When is Daniel’s name day?
Daniel keeps the name day on 17 December on the New Calendar and on 30 December on the Old Calendar, the feast of the Prophet Daniel.
Who is the patron saint of Daniel?
the Prophet Daniel. The holy Prophet Daniel, the fourth of the major prophets, was a young man of Israel when the Babylonians took Jerusalem in the years after 600 B.C. and led many of the people away into captivity.
How is Daniel written in other languages?
Greek: Δανιήλ (Daniil), Russian: Даниил (Daniil), Ukrainian: Данило (Danylo), Bulgarian: Даниел (Daniel), Serbian: Данило (Danilo) and Romanian: Daniel. Every form of the name keeps the same saint.
What is a good name-day gift for Daniel?
We don’t carry an icon of the Prophet Daniel yet, and you can ask for one on this page. Every Orthodox Christian has a Guardian Angel from baptism, so the Name-Day Gift Set ($149) with the Guardian Angel diptych is always fitting.
More about name days
- Name Days Explained: What They Are, How Families Keep Them, and Gifts
A name day is the feast of the saint whose name you carry. Here is how to find yours on either calendar, how Greek and Russian families keep it, and what to give.
- Orthodox Patron Saint: How to Find Yours (by Name, Day or Choice)
Your Orthodox patron saint is the saint whose name you were given at baptism. Here is how to find yours by name, by the day of your birth or baptism, or by choice, and how to keep the name day.
- Find another name