There is no evidence to support that. There is however, evidence which disputes it. Most handbooks derive the first part of the word Danmark or Denmark, and the name of the people (Danish), from a word meaning "flat land", related to [German] Tenne = "threshing floor", [English] den = "cave", or [Sanskrit] dhánuá¹£ = "desert". The suffix -mark is believed to mean woodland or borderland, with probable references to the border forests in south Schleswig. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark#Earliest_occurrences If one truly wanted to press for the argument that the first part of the word Danmark is in reference to the name "Dan", then it would historically be in reference to one of the legendary Danish kings who was named Dan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_%28king%29 One account states the following - Dan was sent to govern Zealand, Møn, Falster and Lolland, which became known jointly as Videslev. When the Jutes were fighting Emperor Augustus they called upon Dan to help and upon victory [against Augustus] made him king of Jutland, Fuen, Videslev and Skåne. After a council about what to call this new united land, they named it Denmark (Dania) after the new king, Dan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark#Mythological_explanations Some believe the Tribe of Dan later became the Ancient Macedonians, a people who later assimilated with their neighbors, the Greeks. They named the river they settled on the "Dan-ube". Similarly the name Macedonian itself can be linked by translation to the tribe which was lost. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribe_of_Dan#Fate