Dan

Dan is a biblical Hebrew name meaning “judge.” In Genesis, Dan is a son of Jacob and Bilhah, and his name also becomes the name of one of the tribes of Israel. That makes Dan a complete ancient name in its own right, rather than only a shortened version of something longer.

In everyday English, Dan is also widely used as a short form of Daniel. That second path brings a related but fuller meaning: Daniel expresses the idea that God is the speaker’s judge. The distinction can matter when choosing a name for a religious or family reason. A child officially named Dan can carry the biblical Dan connection, a tribute to a Daniel, or both.