Donell
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- doh-NEL
- Origin
- Irish
- US rank, 2025
- #6,442 for boys
Donell is a boys' name of Irish origin, meaning “world ruler”. In 2025 it ranked 6,442nd for boys in the US (13 babies).
What does Donell mean?
Irish: variant of Donnell, from Irish Domhnall
“world ruler”
Domhnall, the root of Donald, was the name of several early Irish and Scottish kings.
Is Donell a girl's or a boy's name?
Donell is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 13 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Donell in the UK?
No boys in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2000, with 32 boys.
Half of all the boys named Donell in the UK since 1996 were born between 2000 and 2006, the years shaded on the chart below.
Donell in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 4 | #4,008 |
| 2012 | 7 | #2,849 |
| 2011 | 4 | #3,986 |
| 2010 | 7 | #2,775 |
| 2009 | 8 | #2,445 |
| 2008 | 4 | #3,836 |
| 2007 | 6 | #2,873 |
| 2006 | 5 | #3,013 |
| 2005 | 12 | #1,599 |
| 2004 | 12 | #1,494 |
| 2003 | 13 | #1,328 |
| 2002 | 10 | #1,490 |
| 2001 | 17 | #1,008 |
| 2000 | 32 | #636 |
| 1999 | 13 | #1,142 |
| 1998 | 5 | #2,170 |
| 1997 | 11 | #1,241 |
| 1996 | 5 | #2,094 |
How popular is Donell in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 6,442nd among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 13 about 1 in 130,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Falling down 27% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 13 boys in the US were named Donell, making it the 6,442nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 6,292nd. Its busiest year was 1959, with 99 boys. It first appears in the records in 1915.
2025 had more boys named Donell than any year since 2020.
Half of all the boys named Donell in the US since 1880 were born between 1958 and 1990, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 1990, 8% of the babies named Donell in the US were girls.
Donell in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13 | #6,442 |
| 2024 | 8 | #8,982 |
| 2023 | 12 | #6,892 |
| 2022 | 8 | #8,983 |
| 2021 | 11 | #7,084 |
| 2020 | 13 | #6,292 |
| 2019 | 15 | #5,808 |
| 2018 | 17 | #5,316 |
| 2017 | 15 | #5,784 |
| 2016 | 9 | #8,141 |
| 2015 | 18 | #5,056 |
| 2014 | 27 | #3,784 |
| 2013 | 21 | #4,461 |
| 2012 | 26 | #3,891 |
| 2011 | 24 | #4,108 |
| 2010 | 37 | #3,071 |
| 2009 | 25 | #4,033 |
| 2008 | 39 | #3,004 |
| 2007 | 44 | #2,721 |
| 2006 | 48 | #2,512 |
| 2005 | 51 | #2,293 |
| 2004 | 40 | #2,639 |
| 2003 | 33 | #2,918 |
| 2002 | 47 | #2,220 |
| 2001 | 47 | #2,181 |
| 2000 | 68 | #1,677 |
| 1999 | 42 | #2,196 |
| 1998 | 40 | #2,232 |
| 1997 | 49 | #1,887 |
| 1996 | 36 | #2,249 |
| 1995 | 39 | #2,097 |
| 1994 | 52 | #1,711 |
| 1993 | 54 | #1,633 |
| 1992 | 63 | #1,447 |
| 1991 | 66 | #1,390 |
| 1990 | 74 | #1,282 |
| 1989 | 60 | #1,406 |
| 1988 | 63 | #1,292 |
| 1987 | 63 | #1,216 |
| 1986 | 68 | #1,143 |
| 1985 | 81 | #1,010 |
| 1984 | 67 | #1,095 |
| 1983 | 77 | #1,006 |
| 1982 | 74 | #1,059 |
| 1981 | 81 | #1,009 |
| 1980 | 81 | #1,004 |
| 1979 | 83 | #974 |
| 1978 | 81 | #961 |
| 1977 | 94 | #873 |
| 1976 | 87 | #890 |
| 1975 | 80 | #916 |
| 1974 | 83 | #885 |
| 1973 | 79 | #898 |
| 1972 | 89 | #851 |
| 1971 | 72 | #958 |
| 1970 | 64 | #1,016 |
| 1969 | 67 | #931 |
| 1968 | 78 | #829 |
| 1967 | 64 | #900 |
| 1966 | 71 | #860 |
| 1965 | 78 | #831 |
| 1964 | 80 | #849 |
| 1963 | 68 | #905 |
| 1962 | 69 | #911 |
| 1961 | 61 | #989 |
| 1960 | 88 | #812 |
| 1959 | 99 | #765 |
| 1958 | 69 | #906 |
| 1957 | 89 | #794 |
| 1956 | 93 | #761 |
| 1955 | 77 | #835 |
| 1954 | 74 | #841 |
| 1953 | 74 | #832 |
| 1952 | 72 | #827 |
| 1951 | 58 | #918 |
| 1950 | 47 | #1,021 |
| 1949 | 51 | #966 |
| 1948 | 32 | #1,279 |
| 1947 | 36 | #1,212 |
| 1946 | 30 | #1,277 |
| 1945 | 23 | #1,377 |
| 1944 | 22 | #1,437 |
| 1943 | 14 | #1,985 |
| 1942 | 12 | #2,144 |
| 1941 | 25 | #1,333 |
| 1940 | 30 | #1,227 |
| 1939 | 23 | #1,390 |
| 1938 | 24 | #1,364 |
| 1937 | 15 | #1,828 |
| 1936 | 13 | #1,964 |
| 1935 | 19 | #1,584 |
| 1934 | 31 | #1,189 |
| 1933 | 12 | #2,093 |
| 1932 | 22 | #1,509 |
| 1931 | 17 | #1,770 |
| 1930 | 14 | #2,079 |
| 1929 | 15 | #2,002 |
| 1928 | 10 | #2,659 |
| 1927 | 14 | #2,193 |
| 1926 | 18 | #1,846 |
| 1925 | 9 | #2,934 |
| 1924 | 12 | #2,473 |
| 1923 | 9 | #2,948 |
| 1922 | 12 | #2,485 |
| 1921 | 0 | – |
| 1920 | 8 | #3,207 |
| 1919 | 0 | – |
| 1918 | 0 | – |
| 1917 | 8 | #2,955 |
| 1916 | 5 | #3,896 |
| 1915 | 8 | #2,828 |
Nicknames for Donell
- Don 9 boys in the UK in 2025
Names like Donell
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Ryan, Daniel, Kevin, Michael, David, Cody, Brian, Casey, Dylan, Declan, Danny, Regan
Names related to Donell
Donal, Donnell, Donnel, Dionel, Daniell, Doniel, Danell, Donyell, Donelle
More Irish names
Oscar, Rowan, Rory, Maeve, Finn, Aiden, Nolan, Quinn, Orla, Erin, Ronan, Connor, Kennedy, Callan, Lennon, Cillian
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, “Donell: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/donell, updated 20 October 2026.