This interesting surname derives ultimately from the Hebrew male personal name "Daniel", which means "God is my judge", and was borne by one of the most important prophets in the Bible. The name does not appear in England before the Conquest of 1066, suggesting that it was introduced by the Normans as both a given name and a surname. "Daniel" was a very popular personal name throughout medieval Europe, due largely to the dramatic story contained in the biblical "Book of Daniel", and also to the fame of a 2nd Century Christian martyr and a 9th Century hermit, legends of whose life were popular during the Middle Ages among Christians. The surnames generated by "Daniel" are numerous, ranging from Daniel(l), Danniel(l), Danell, Dannel(l), Dennel(l) and Denial, to the patronymic forms Daniel(l)s and Danels. In November 1644, Ann Daniels married William Furnas, at St. Katherine by the Tower, and Elizabeth Daniels married Richard Foster, on July 23rd 1644, in Putney, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Roger Daniel, which was dated 1086, in the Domesday Book, Sussex, during the reign of King William 1, known as "The Conqueror", 1066 - 1087. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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