Don
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- DON
- Origin
- Scottish
- UK rank, 2025
- #2,511 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #1,793 for boys
Don is a boys' name of Scottish origin, meaning “world ruler”. In 2025 it ranked 2,511th for boys in the UK (9 babies) and 1,793rd for boys in the US (89 babies).
What does Don mean?
Scottish: short form of Donald
“world ruler”
A short form of Donald; in Spanish and Italian don is also a title of respect.
Is Don a girl's or a boy's name?
Don is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 9 boys in the UK and 89 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Don in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,511among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 9about 1 in 33,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 32% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 9 boys in the UK were named Don, making it the 2,511th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,829th. Its busiest year was 2005, with 16 boys.
Half of all the boys named Don in the UK since 1996 were born between 2004 and 2017. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 2,436th in England and Wales.
Don in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 | #2,511 |
| 2024 | 9 | #2,515 |
| 2023 | 1 | #6,556 |
| 2022 | 9 | #2,457 |
| 2021 | 3 | #4,989 |
| 2020 | 13 | #1,829 |
| 2019 | 10 | #2,231 |
| 2018 | 5 | #3,596 |
| 2017 | 12 | #2,037 |
| 2016 | 4 | #4,214 |
| 2015 | 10 | #2,260 |
| 2014 | 10 | #2,207 |
| 2013 | 7 | #2,792 |
| 2012 | 10 | #2,230 |
| 2011 | 11 | #2,011 |
| 2010 | 16 | #1,585 |
| 2009 | 15 | #1,582 |
| 2008 | 13 | #1,696 |
| 2007 | 7 | #2,554 |
| 2006 | 7 | #2,386 |
| 2005 | 16 | #1,326 |
| 2004 | 10 | #1,688 |
| 2003 | 7 | #2,054 |
| 2002 | 10 | #1,490 |
| 2001 | 9 | #1,547 |
| 2000 | 5 | #2,237 |
| 1999 | 7 | #1,749 |
| 1998 | 11 | #1,259 |
| 1997 | 9 | #1,412 |
| 1996 | 9 | #1,394 |
How popular is Don in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,793among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 89about 1 in 19,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 6% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 89 boys in the US were named Don, making it the 1,793rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,716th. Its busiest year was 1946, with 4,110 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Don than any year since 2019.
Half of all the boys named Don in the US since 1880 were born between 1935 and 1959, the years shaded on the chart below.
Don in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 89 | #1,793 |
| 2024 | 92 | #1,776 |
| 2023 | 94 | #1,744 |
| 2022 | 115 | #1,551 |
| 2021 | 102 | #1,635 |
| 2020 | 90 | #1,716 |
| 2019 | 88 | #1,762 |
| 2018 | 115 | #1,498 |
| 2017 | 90 | #1,725 |
| 2016 | 105 | #1,563 |
| 2015 | 117 | #1,444 |
| 2014 | 112 | #1,456 |
| 2013 | 125 | #1,352 |
| 2012 | 96 | #1,616 |
| 2011 | 113 | #1,448 |
| 2010 | 111 | #1,470 |
| 2009 | 136 | #1,290 |
| 2008 | 133 | #1,303 |
| 2007 | 127 | #1,332 |
| 2006 | 170 | #1,054 |
| 2005 | 138 | #1,154 |
| 2004 | 140 | #1,127 |
| 2003 | 155 | #1,015 |
| 2002 | 155 | #1,002 |
| 2001 | 183 | #872 |
| 2000 | 193 | #827 |
| 1999 | 187 | #814 |
| 1998 | 207 | #766 |
| 1997 | 194 | #765 |
| 1996 | 233 | #693 |
| 1995 | 299 | #595 |
| 1994 | 231 | #682 |
| 1993 | 309 | #586 |
| 1992 | 293 | #599 |
| 1991 | 353 | #538 |
| 1990 | 332 | #553 |
| 1989 | 393 | #483 |
| 1988 | 454 | #425 |
| 1987 | 449 | #412 |
| 1986 | 467 | #390 |
| 1985 | 473 | #381 |
| 1984 | 472 | #373 |
| 1983 | 478 | #367 |
| 1982 | 552 | #341 |
| 1981 | 653 | #298 |
| 1980 | 598 | #321 |
| 1979 | 654 | #303 |
| 1978 | 587 | #306 |
| 1977 | 732 | #268 |
| 1976 | 718 | #269 |
| 1975 | 766 | #258 |
| 1974 | 798 | #252 |
| 1973 | 893 | #237 |
| 1972 | 977 | #223 |
| 1971 | 1,092 | #215 |
| 1970 | 1,279 | #203 |
| 1969 | 1,349 | #194 |
| 1968 | 1,404 | #183 |
| 1967 | 1,469 | #177 |
| 1966 | 1,650 | #166 |
| 1965 | 1,907 | #157 |
| 1964 | 2,304 | #141 |
| 1963 | 2,522 | #135 |
| 1962 | 2,915 | #123 |
| 1961 | 3,149 | #121 |
| 1960 | 3,454 | #115 |
| 1959 | 3,617 | #111 |
| 1958 | 3,580 | #112 |
| 1957 | 3,347 | #117 |
| 1956 | 2,898 | #123 |
| 1955 | 2,649 | #125 |
| 1954 | 2,748 | #120 |
| 1953 | 2,712 | #121 |
| 1952 | 2,570 | #120 |
| 1951 | 2,619 | #117 |
| 1950 | 2,712 | #107 |
| 1949 | 3,060 | #98 |
| 1948 | 3,546 | #91 |
| 1947 | 4,007 | #86 |
| 1946 | 4,110 | #79 |
| 1945 | 3,482 | #73 |
| 1944 | 3,589 | #72 |
| 1943 | 3,817 | #72 |
| 1942 | 3,564 | #72 |
| 1941 | 3,533 | #66 |
| 1940 | 3,547 | #62 |
| 1939 | 3,589 | #56 |
| 1938 | 3,900 | #52 |
| 1937 | 3,814 | #51 |
| 1936 | 3,830 | #51 |
| 1935 | 3,917 | #51 |
| 1934 | 3,926 | #50 |
| 1933 | 3,453 | #54 |
| 1932 | 3,453 | #55 |
| 1931 | 3,176 | #59 |
| 1930 | 2,922 | #68 |
| 1929 | 2,519 | #78 |
| 1928 | 2,382 | #84 |
| 1927 | 2,303 | #90 |
| 1926 | 1,966 | #96 |
| 1925 | 1,653 | #106 |
| 1924 | 1,451 | #125 |
| 1923 | 1,293 | #129 |
| 1922 | 1,183 | #136 |
| 1921 | 1,172 | #136 |
| 1920 | 1,019 | #148 |
| 1919 | 956 | #145 |
| 1918 | 931 | #153 |
| 1917 | 757 | #167 |
| 1916 | 744 | #160 |
| 1915 | 747 | #156 |
| 1914 | 521 | #173 |
| 1913 | 388 | #176 |
| 1912 | 332 | #176 |
| 1911 | 167 | #184 |
| 1910 | 140 | #191 |
| 1909 | 110 | #197 |
| 1908 | 107 | #193 |
| 1907 | 81 | #227 |
| 1906 | 87 | #203 |
| 1905 | 85 | #205 |
| 1904 | 75 | #213 |
| 1903 | 64 | #228 |
| 1902 | 79 | #200 |
| 1901 | 48 | #249 |
| 1900 | 81 | #219 |
| 1899 | 65 | #202 |
| 1898 | 49 | #252 |
| 1897 | 49 | #249 |
| 1896 | 66 | #221 |
| 1895 | 78 | #190 |
| 1894 | 72 | #202 |
| 1893 | 64 | #212 |
| 1892 | 68 | #213 |
| 1891 | 48 | #233 |
| 1890 | 61 | #212 |
| 1889 | 62 | #205 |
| 1888 | 50 | #245 |
| 1887 | 39 | #254 |
| 1886 | 61 | #216 |
| 1885 | 35 | #282 |
| 1884 | 47 | #251 |
| 1883 | 54 | #203 |
| 1882 | 46 | #248 |
| 1881 | 26 | #318 |
| 1880 | 34 | #283 |
Nicknames for Don
- Donnie 37 boys in the UK in 2025
Names like Don
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Conn Dean Kerr Bryn Deacon Brogan Conlan Cairn Keegan Dan Regan Keelan
Names related to Don
More Scottish names
Isla Finley Logan Arabella Cameron Bonnie Paisley Brody Carson Maxwell Brodie Finlay Blair Lennox Skye Knox
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Don: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/don, updated 20 October 2026.