ダニエル
Your name
Daniel
in Japanese
The default way to write Daniel in Japanese is ダニエル — a phonetic katakana spelling that captures the sound and signals, instantly to a Japanese reader, that the name comes from elsewhere. But katakana is only one of three answers Japanese gives to a foreign name.
Below, we show all three. First the official katakana. Then a set of meaning kanji chosen to express what Daniel actually means at the root — Hebrew דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyyel), meaning 'God is my judge'. Finally a set of ateji, the playful tradition where the kanji match the sound and tell their own small story underneath.
Katakana — Phonetic
How Daniel is most commonly written in Japanese — used on official documents, business cards, and signage.
Meaning Kanji — Etymology
"Daniel" means: Hebrew דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyyel), meaning 'God is my judge'
神裁
Shinsai
神 (shin) = god/divine; 裁 (sai) = judgment/judge — 'divine judgment,' a direct rendering of the Hebrew meaning.
天理人
Tenrijin
天 (ten) = heaven; 理 (ri) = reason/principle/law; 人 (jin) = person — 'a person under heaven's law,' evoking one judged and guided by divine order.
聖断
Seidan
聖 (sei) = holy/sacred; 断 (dan) = decision/judgment — 'sacred decision,' the verdict of the divine, true to the name's prophetic origins.
Ateji — Sound + Meaning
Where the sound matches and the kanji tell their own small story. The Edo scholars and modern manga authors both played this game.
騨煮瑠
Danieru
騨 (da) = dappled horse (a swift, noble steed); 煮 (ni) = to simmer (warmth, depth); 瑠 (ru) = lapis lazuli/precious gem — a cool, mystical rider crowned with jewels.
暖偉琉
Danieru
暖 (dan) = warmth; 偉 (i) = great/admirable; 琉 (ru) = ryukyu/precious stone — 'a warm, great gem,' cute and bright like a treasured friend.
弾笛流
Danieru
fue→i sound play) = flute; 流 (ru) = flow/stream — 'a flowing flute melody,' playful and lyrical, as if the name itself were music.
Not sure which form to use?
Katakana, meaning kanji, and ateji each belong to a different part of Japanese life — official paperwork, calligraphy and gifts, signatures and wordplay. Our full guide walks through when to reach for each one.
Read the guide: the three ways to write your name in Japanese →
Seven, drawn