Dann
A short form of Daniel, originally a biblical baptismal surname meaning “God is my judge.”
The #8,775 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 82,663 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Dann is generally treated as a shortened surname form of Daniel, used first as a nickname or pet form and then inherited as a family name. The underlying Hebrew name Daniel means “God is my judge.” In older surname collections, Dann is also linked to diminutive forms such as Dannet or to the very common medieval habit of turning a father’s given name into a surname.
History
The surname appears in English records as one of several Daniel-derived forms, alongside Daniels and Dannett. It is found in England and later in English-speaking countries, including the United States. Because it is a clipped form, it is often difficult to separate from other Daniel variants in historical records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early surname dictionaries explicitly cross-reference Dann to Daniel rather than giving it a separate meaning, showing how common biblical-name surnames could split into many short forms.
From the historical record
“DANIELS. See Daniel. DANN. See Daniel. DANSAYS. French Protestant refugees who settled at Rye, co. Sussex, in 1685, im- mediately after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. HoUoway's Rye, 582. DANSEY. William Dauntesey lield lauds in Wiltshire temp. Henry III., and his son Richard D. held lands in that co. and in…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom