Donald
Boy · DON-ald · Scottish
Big in Scotland
Donald is a boys' name of Scottish origin, meaning “world ruler”. In 2025 it ranked 1,192nd for boys in the UK (26 babies) and 690th for boys in the US (395 babies).
What does Donald mean?
Scottish: anglicised form of Scottish Gaelic Domhnall
“world ruler”
Borne by several early kings of Scotland and linked with Clan Donald, the MacDonalds.
- Say it
- DON-ald
More on Wiktionary.
Is Donald a girl's or a boy's name?
Donald is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 26 boys in the UK and 395 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Donald in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,192among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 26about 1 in 12,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 33% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 26 boys in the UK were named Donald, making it the 1,192nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,923rd. Its busiest year was 1996, with 65 boys.
It has been given to more boys each year for the last 5 years. 2025 had more boys named Donald than any year since 2015.
Half of all the boys named Donald in the UK since 1996 were born between 2001 and 2015. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,465th in England and Wales and 400th in Scotland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#51), 1914 (#41), 1924 (#29), 1934 (#18), 1944 (#53), 1954 (#64) and 1964 (#99).
Donald in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | #1,192 |
| 2024 | 23 | #1,263 |
| 2023 | 19 | #1,454 |
| 2022 | 17 | #1,561 |
| 2021 | 16 | #1,619 |
| 2020 | 12 | #1,923 |
| 2019 | 21 | #1,302 |
| 2018 | 18 | #1,486 |
| 2017 | 23 | #1,253 |
| 2016 | 16 | #1,655 |
| 2015 | 37 | #906 |
| 2014 | 29 | #1,058 |
| 2013 | 22 | #1,241 |
| 2012 | 36 | #922 |
| 2011 | 49 | #721 |
| 2010 | 30 | #1,019 |
| 2009 | 35 | #882 |
| 2008 | 28 | #1,020 |
| 2007 | 40 | #765 |
| 2006 | 33 | #842 |
| 2005 | 34 | #796 |
| 2004 | 32 | #782 |
| 2003 | 28 | #808 |
| 2002 | 28 | #750 |
| 2001 | 27 | #728 |
| 2000 | 37 | #578 |
| 1999 | 37 | #575 |
| 1998 | 41 | #525 |
| 1997 | 41 | #510 |
| 1996 | 65 | #376 |
How popular is Donald in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #690among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 395about 1 in 4,300 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 19% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 395 boys in the US were named Donald, making it the 690th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 608th. Its busiest year was 1934, with 30,408 boys.
2025 had fewer boys named Donald than any year since 1903.
Half of all the boys named Donald in the US since 1880 were born between 1933 and 1960, the years shaded on the chart below.
Donald in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 395 | #690 |
| 2024 | 408 | #673 |
| 2023 | 415 | #659 |
| 2022 | 403 | #676 |
| 2021 | 468 | #596 |
| 2020 | 450 | #608 |
| 2019 | 513 | #549 |
| 2018 | 541 | #524 |
| 2017 | 603 | #486 |
| 2016 | 625 | #489 |
| 2015 | 696 | #440 |
| 2014 | 738 | #419 |
| 2013 | 711 | #415 |
| 2012 | 729 | #400 |
| 2011 | 788 | #377 |
| 2010 | 765 | #377 |
| 2009 | 839 | #363 |
| 2008 | 992 | #332 |
| 2007 | 999 | #321 |
| 2006 | 1,098 | #303 |
| 2005 | 1,150 | #289 |
| 2004 | 1,251 | #263 |
| 2003 | 1,308 | #253 |
| 2002 | 1,289 | #252 |
| 2001 | 1,470 | #231 |
| 2000 | 1,609 | #217 |
| 1999 | 1,747 | #192 |
| 1998 | 1,862 | #180 |
| 1997 | 1,970 | #173 |
| 1996 | 2,184 | #158 |
| 1995 | 2,252 | #155 |
| 1994 | 2,652 | #132 |
| 1993 | 2,996 | #118 |
| 1992 | 3,266 | #110 |
| 1991 | 3,650 | #102 |
| 1990 | 4,177 | #87 |
| 1989 | 4,323 | #82 |
| 1988 | 4,328 | #76 |
| 1987 | 4,501 | #70 |
| 1986 | 4,661 | #71 |
| 1985 | 4,750 | #66 |
| 1984 | 5,062 | #63 |
| 1983 | 5,327 | #60 |
| 1982 | 5,712 | #58 |
| 1981 | 5,910 | #56 |
| 1980 | 6,269 | #53 |
| 1979 | 6,508 | #51 |
| 1978 | 6,423 | #48 |
| 1977 | 6,866 | #46 |
| 1976 | 6,792 | #47 |
| 1975 | 7,197 | #42 |
| 1974 | 7,758 | #41 |
| 1973 | 8,361 | #38 |
| 1972 | 9,261 | #36 |
| 1971 | 10,872 | #34 |
| 1970 | 12,397 | #30 |
| 1969 | 12,775 | #30 |
| 1968 | 13,362 | #29 |
| 1967 | 14,226 | #27 |
| 1966 | 14,713 | #27 |
| 1965 | 16,033 | #26 |
| 1964 | 18,045 | #25 |
| 1963 | 18,896 | #25 |
| 1962 | 20,425 | #23 |
| 1961 | 21,409 | #22 |
| 1960 | 22,744 | #19 |
| 1959 | 23,876 | #19 |
| 1958 | 25,015 | #18 |
| 1957 | 27,910 | #15 |
| 1956 | 28,223 | #14 |
| 1955 | 27,726 | #14 |
| 1954 | 29,279 | #14 |
| 1953 | 28,361 | #14 |
| 1952 | 28,269 | #13 |
| 1951 | 27,916 | #15 |
| 1950 | 26,999 | #14 |
| 1949 | 27,121 | #13 |
| 1948 | 26,442 | #14 |
| 1947 | 28,260 | #13 |
| 1946 | 26,273 | #13 |
| 1945 | 22,138 | #12 |
| 1944 | 23,468 | #11 |
| 1943 | 24,421 | #11 |
| 1942 | 23,955 | #10 |
| 1941 | 22,641 | #10 |
| 1940 | 23,115 | #9 |
| 1939 | 24,056 | #8 |
| 1938 | 26,677 | #7 |
| 1937 | 27,868 | #7 |
| 1936 | 28,639 | #7 |
| 1935 | 29,674 | #7 |
| 1934 | 30,408 | #6 |
| 1933 | 28,450 | #7 |
| 1932 | 29,794 | #7 |
| 1931 | 29,100 | #7 |
| 1930 | 29,052 | #7 |
| 1929 | 27,181 | #7 |
| 1928 | 25,704 | #7 |
| 1927 | 23,834 | #8 |
| 1926 | 20,912 | #9 |
| 1925 | 19,193 | #10 |
| 1924 | 17,929 | #10 |
| 1923 | 16,433 | #10 |
| 1922 | 14,913 | #12 |
| 1921 | 13,776 | #13 |
| 1920 | 11,941 | #16 |
| 1919 | 9,904 | #17 |
| 1918 | 9,972 | #18 |
| 1917 | 8,729 | #20 |
| 1916 | 7,736 | #20 |
| 1915 | 7,116 | #20 |
| 1914 | 4,835 | #23 |
| 1913 | 3,702 | #25 |
| 1912 | 2,872 | #27 |
| 1911 | 1,275 | #36 |
| 1910 | 860 | #44 |
| 1909 | 725 | #42 |
| 1908 | 664 | #45 |
| 1907 | 616 | #44 |
| 1906 | 486 | #51 |
| 1905 | 425 | #59 |
| 1904 | 413 | #58 |
| 1903 | 359 | #60 |
| 1902 | 366 | #63 |
| 1901 | 250 | #77 |
| 1900 | 328 | #79 |
| 1899 | 258 | #74 |
| 1898 | 238 | #88 |
| 1897 | 195 | #92 |
| 1896 | 211 | #94 |
| 1895 | 203 | #96 |
| 1894 | 169 | #106 |
| 1893 | 166 | #105 |
| 1892 | 137 | #123 |
| 1891 | 100 | #136 |
| 1890 | 109 | #131 |
| 1889 | 75 | #180 |
| 1888 | 77 | #194 |
| 1887 | 60 | #198 |
| 1886 | 57 | #224 |
| 1885 | 47 | #241 |
| 1884 | 59 | #216 |
| 1883 | 52 | #208 |
| 1882 | 48 | #242 |
| 1881 | 27 | #313 |
| 1880 | 46 | #244 |
Nicknames for Donald
Names like Donald
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
David Douglas Thomas Robert William Edward Daniel Joseph James Michael Patrick Billy
Names related to Donald
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