Former EastEnders icon Danny Dyer, who is currently starring in the action film Marching Powder, has opened up about his real name – and how the spelling was his dad’s fault
Fans of the former EastEnders actor Danny Dyer have been left utterly astonished upon discovering his real name, and it’s neither Danny nor Daniel. The 47-year-old celebrity, who first grabbed public attention with his role in the 1999 film Human Traffic and became famed for his portrayal of Mick Carter on BBC’s EastEnders from 2013 to 2022. He’s now starring in the action film Marching Powder, leading to discussions about his real name.
In a TikTok clip featuring an interview with British GQ, Dyer confesses: “My real name is Danial [John Dyer]. And that’s because my dad was so p****d when he turned up when I was born, he wasn’t there, he was in the boozer, he couldn’t spell Daniel. So he spelt it d-a-n-i-a-l.”
He previously discussed the topic in the Sorted with the Dyers podcast, which he hosts alongside daughter Dani Dyer. During one session, Dani inquired, “Are you a Daniel? I just want to confirm?,” prompting Danny’s affirmation: “Yeah, I am.” He continued: “I was thinking about this the other day, actually,” before revealing: “I was born a Danial. Danial is my name, so in the eyes of God, I am a Danial. And it is D-A-N-I-A-L.”
He then went on to explain that his dad was in the “boozer” when his mum went into labour. He continued: “My old dad, and I love him very much, he’s old school. I was born in the 70s. Men didn’t really get involved in much.
“Back in the day my mum would go, ‘I’m going into labour’ and he’d be up the boozer. He’d go, ‘All right. What time are you going to be home?’ She went into labour and gave birth.
“Anyway he got up there, obviously off his nut and got to do the important thing which is the birth certificate, which I think you have to sign. He agreed to the name Daniel but he spelt it Danial. Could have been a mix of things, could have been that he was battered, could have been that he doesn’t spell. Could have been a bit of both actually.”
He continued: “As I got into the acting years, I changed it to Danny. It was always going to be Danny.”
His story resonated with many fans on TikTok who shared similar experiences with their names. One user commented: “I’m Samual… Dad spelt it wrong… should be Samuel.”
Another chimed in: “I have the exact same spelling, and reason for it.”
A third fan quipped: “He calls himself Danny because he’s in Danial about his real name,” while a fourth humorously added: “This was why my Dad wasn’t allowed to register me. Mum did it.”
