Donal
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- DOH-nal
- Origin
- Irish
- UK rank, 2025
- #3,747 for boys
Big in Northern Ireland
Donal is a boys' name of Irish origin, meaning “world ruler”. In 2025 it ranked 3,747th for boys in the UK (5 babies).
What does Donal mean?
Irish: Irish Dónal, from Old Irish Domnall
“world ruler”
The Irish form of Donald, from the Old Irish Domnall.
Is Donal a girl's or a boy's name?
Donal is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 5 boys in the UK. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Donal in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #3,747among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 5about 1 in 60,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 41% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 5 boys in the UK were named Donal, making it the 3,747th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,657th. Its busiest year was 1998, with 22 boys.
Half of all the boys named Donal in the UK since 1996 were born between 2002 and 2015, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 314th in Northern Ireland.
Donal in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | #3,747 |
| 2024 | 12 | #2,009 |
| 2023 | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 8 | #2,678 |
| 2021 | 11 | #2,100 |
| 2020 | 15 | #1,657 |
| 2019 | 8 | #2,633 |
| 2018 | 6 | #3,162 |
| 2017 | 8 | #2,656 |
| 2016 | 7 | #2,947 |
| 2015 | 18 | #1,476 |
| 2014 | 19 | #1,406 |
| 2013 | 12 | #1,901 |
| 2012 | 11 | #2,080 |
| 2011 | 8 | #2,503 |
| 2010 | 13 | #1,805 |
| 2009 | 13 | #1,760 |
| 2008 | 11 | #1,930 |
| 2007 | 12 | #1,760 |
| 2006 | 17 | #1,302 |
| 2005 | 12 | #1,599 |
| 2004 | 18 | #1,140 |
| 2003 | 16 | #1,163 |
| 2002 | 13 | #1,252 |
| 2001 | 16 | #1,054 |
| 2000 | 14 | #1,113 |
| 1999 | 19 | #900 |
| 1998 | 22 | #790 |
| 1997 | 14 | #1,066 |
| 1996 | 5 | #2,094 |
How popular is Donal in the US?
No boys in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1930, with 98 boys. It first appears in the records in 1909.
Half of all the boys named Donal in the US since 1880 were born between 1930 and 1962, the years shaded on the chart below.
Donal in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5 | #12,232 |
| 2022 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 5 | #12,141 |
| 2020 | 5 | #12,016 |
| 2019 | 9 | #8,209 |
| 2018 | 6 | #10,754 |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 5 | #12,180 |
| 2015 | 7 | #9,562 |
| 2014 | 5 | #12,102 |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 6 | #10,801 |
| 2010 | 5 | #12,224 |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 7 | #9,864 |
| 2007 | 6 | #10,915 |
| 2006 | 8 | #8,726 |
| 2005 | 12 | #6,220 |
| 2004 | 7 | #8,921 |
| 2003 | 9 | #7,238 |
| 2002 | 10 | #6,515 |
| 2001 | 9 | #6,928 |
| 2000 | 11 | #5,913 |
| 1999 | 11 | #5,650 |
| 1998 | 15 | #4,409 |
| 1997 | 14 | #4,446 |
| 1996 | 16 | #4,016 |
| 1995 | 11 | #5,118 |
| 1994 | 9 | #5,862 |
| 1993 | 16 | #3,812 |
| 1992 | 9 | #5,652 |
| 1991 | 18 | #3,319 |
| 1990 | 17 | #3,461 |
| 1989 | 16 | #3,440 |
| 1988 | 24 | #2,432 |
| 1987 | 9 | #4,567 |
| 1986 | 21 | #2,508 |
| 1985 | 13 | #3,398 |
| 1984 | 19 | #2,528 |
| 1983 | 20 | #2,407 |
| 1982 | 13 | #3,281 |
| 1981 | 14 | #3,028 |
| 1980 | 17 | #2,728 |
| 1979 | 27 | #1,943 |
| 1978 | 25 | #1,965 |
| 1977 | 12 | #3,201 |
| 1976 | 21 | #2,176 |
| 1975 | 20 | #2,204 |
| 1974 | 22 | #1,983 |
| 1973 | 14 | #2,604 |
| 1972 | 24 | #1,819 |
| 1971 | 32 | #1,525 |
| 1970 | 25 | #1,742 |
| 1969 | 23 | #1,727 |
| 1968 | 33 | #1,339 |
| 1967 | 31 | #1,363 |
| 1966 | 34 | #1,298 |
| 1965 | 39 | #1,226 |
| 1964 | 30 | #1,434 |
| 1963 | 56 | #1,011 |
| 1962 | 41 | #1,214 |
| 1961 | 46 | #1,155 |
| 1960 | 46 | #1,151 |
| 1959 | 51 | #1,080 |
| 1958 | 42 | #1,185 |
| 1957 | 46 | #1,129 |
| 1956 | 52 | #1,044 |
| 1955 | 44 | #1,113 |
| 1954 | 44 | #1,121 |
| 1953 | 45 | #1,090 |
| 1952 | 53 | #980 |
| 1951 | 50 | #991 |
| 1950 | 43 | #1,073 |
| 1949 | 60 | #884 |
| 1948 | 52 | #962 |
| 1947 | 50 | #1,013 |
| 1946 | 48 | #967 |
| 1945 | 40 | #1,005 |
| 1944 | 45 | #964 |
| 1943 | 39 | #1,088 |
| 1942 | 56 | #876 |
| 1941 | 61 | #807 |
| 1940 | 52 | #872 |
| 1939 | 60 | #784 |
| 1938 | 63 | #770 |
| 1937 | 68 | #737 |
| 1936 | 82 | #637 |
| 1935 | 83 | #652 |
| 1934 | 80 | #678 |
| 1933 | 78 | #664 |
| 1932 | 88 | #644 |
| 1931 | 97 | #596 |
| 1930 | 98 | #621 |
| 1929 | 80 | #689 |
| 1928 | 87 | #676 |
| 1927 | 83 | #713 |
| 1926 | 58 | #875 |
| 1925 | 70 | #786 |
| 1924 | 78 | #752 |
| 1923 | 84 | #706 |
| 1922 | 89 | #692 |
| 1921 | 67 | #843 |
| 1920 | 38 | #1,157 |
| 1919 | 34 | #1,207 |
| 1918 | 20 | #1,709 |
| 1917 | 23 | #1,479 |
| 1916 | 21 | #1,548 |
| 1915 | 23 | #1,409 |
| 1914 | 19 | #1,388 |
| 1913 | 13 | #1,496 |
| 1912 | 0 | – |
| 1911 | 0 | – |
| 1910 | 5 | #1,588 |
| 1909 | 5 | #1,439 |
Names like Donal
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Conn Brogan Conlan Regan Caoimhin Keelan Keenan Keegan Kevin Declan Finnbar Rogan
Names related to Donal
More Irish names
Oscar Rowan Rory Maeve Finn Aiden Ryan Nolan Quinn Orla Cody Erin Ronan Connor Casey Kennedy
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, “Donal: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/donal, updated 20 October 2026.