How to Use DAYNAME() Function in MySQL: Syntax and Examples

In MySQL, use the DAYNAME() function to get the name of the weekday from a date value. For example, DAYNAME('2024-06-01') returns 'Saturday'. This function helps convert dates into readable weekday names.

Syntax

The DAYNAME() function takes one argument, a date or datetime value, and returns the full name of the weekday as a string.

• date: A valid date or datetime expression.

sql

DAYNAME(date)

Example

This example shows how to use DAYNAME() to get the weekday name from a date literal and from a table column.

sql

SELECT DAYNAME('2024-06-01') AS WeekdayName;

-- Example with a table
CREATE TEMPORARY TABLE events (event_date DATE);
INSERT INTO events VALUES ('2024-06-01'), ('2024-06-02');
SELECT event_date, DAYNAME(event_date) AS WeekdayName FROM events;

Output

WeekdayName
Saturday

event_date | WeekdayName
2024-06-01 | Saturday
2024-06-02 | Sunday

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when using DAYNAME() include:

• Passing invalid or NULL dates, which returns NULL.
• Confusing DAYNAME() with DAYOFWEEK() which returns a number, not a name.
• Using datetime values without proper formatting may cause unexpected results.

Always ensure the input is a valid date or datetime.

sql

/* Wrong: Passing a string not in date format */
SELECT DAYNAME('06-01-2024'); -- May return NULL or error depending on SQL mode

/* Right: Use proper date format YYYY-MM-DD */
SELECT DAYNAME('2024-06-01'); -- Returns 'Saturday'

Quick Reference

Function	Description	Example	Returns
DAYNAME(date)	Returns weekday name from date	DAYNAME('2024-06-01')	'Saturday'
DAYOFWEEK(date)	Returns weekday number (1=Sunday)	DAYOFWEEK('2024-06-01')	7

Key Takeaways

Use DAYNAME() to get the full weekday name from a date in MySQL.

Input must be a valid date or datetime in 'YYYY-MM-DD' format for correct results.

DAYNAME() returns a string like 'Monday', 'Tuesday', etc.

Avoid confusing DAYNAME() with DAYOFWEEK(), which returns a number.

Passing invalid dates to DAYNAME() returns NULL.