Daniil

Daniil is a male given name, a Slavic form of Daniel, from the Hebrew Daniyyel meaning “God is my judge.” In Cyrillic script it is written as Даниил and is common in Russia and other Slavic-speaking regions. The name has several regional spellings and variants, including Daniel in English, Danilo in some South Slavic languages, and Danijel in various transliterations.

The name is widely used in Eastern Europe, where biblical and religious naming traditions have historically been influential. In Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, and other languages, Daniil is a traditional, biblically rooted choice. Diminutives include Danik and Danya, with different regions favoring different nicknames.

Notable people named Daniil include Daniil Medvedev (born 1996), a Russian professional tennis player who has held the world No. 1 ranking; Daniil Kharms (1905–1942), a Soviet avant-garde writer and poet; Daniil Shafran (1923–1997), a renowned Russian cellist; and Daniil Granin (1919–2017), a Soviet writer. These figures illustrate the name’s long-standing presence in Russian cultural and public life.

Related forms in other languages and cultures reflect a common root in Daniel, with regional variants such as Danylo in Ukrainian and Danilo in some South Slavic tongues. The name Daniil remains in use today, maintaining its biblical heritage while adapting to contemporary naming trends.