danny could be short for...

[muckylittlepaws]

Obviously daniel. Possibly aidan. Anything else? Please help!!

I went to school with a Dannen.

Dante, aidan?

My dad was called Dawson and his nn was Danny.

Thanks for the suggestions. I really like Aidan but it's not happening for OH unfortunately. Hadn't thought of names that didn't have dan in them, but started with "da-".

why not daniel?

or even just...danny?

It's a name association thing unfortunately :( Sort of think danny isn't enough of a real name in its own right for a birth certificate. Or maybe it is?

I know a Danion who goes by Danny

Ardan (Gaelic, meaning 'tall'; pronounced more like Arh-daawn, however)

as contractions, taking beginning and end of name and missing out the middle:
Darren/Darran (originally from Gaelic, meaning 'oak')
Donovan
Duncan

I knew a Scottish Donald who was ALWYS known as 'Dan'