Donelle
- Gender
- Mostly boys
- Say it
- doh-NEL
- Origin
- Irish
Donelle is a name of Irish origin. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Donelle mean?
Irish: probably a variant of Donell or Donnell, from Irish Domhnall
Probably a variant of Donell, an Americanised form of the Irish name Domhnall, 'world ruler'.
Is Donelle a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Donelle has been given to girls and boys, mostly boys.
How popular is Donelle in the US?
No boys in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1979, with 20 boys. It first appears in the records in 1967.
Half of all the boys named Donelle in the US since 1880 were born between 1979 and 1995, the years shaded on the chart below.
Girls were 88% of the babies named Donelle in the US in 1967, and 52% in 1990.
Donelle in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 7 | #9,750 |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 9 | #8,169 |
| 2006 | 11 | #6,899 |
| 2005 | 7 | #9,108 |
| 2004 | 9 | #7,530 |
| 2003 | 7 | #8,636 |
| 2002 | 6 | #9,385 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 7 | #8,202 |
| 1999 | 7 | #7,867 |
| 1998 | 6 | #8,472 |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 0 | – |
| 1995 | 6 | #7,785 |
| 1994 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 8 | #6,221 |
| 1992 | 8 | #6,120 |
| 1991 | 11 | #4,752 |
| 1990 | 15 | #3,773 |
| 1989 | 16 | #3,440 |
| 1988 | 10 | #4,445 |
| 1987 | 6 | #6,083 |
| 1986 | 12 | #3,649 |
| 1985 | 9 | #4,328 |
| 1984 | 14 | #3,105 |
| 1983 | 11 | #3,629 |
| 1982 | 12 | #3,481 |
| 1981 | 16 | #2,777 |
| 1980 | 12 | #3,429 |
| 1979 | 20 | #2,378 |
| 1978 | 12 | #3,214 |
| 1977 | 6 | #5,121 |
| 1976 | 5 | #5,584 |
| 1975 | 7 | #4,307 |
| 1974 | 5 | #5,225 |
| 1973 | 6 | #4,503 |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 9 | #3,368 |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 6 | #3,934 |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 5 | #3,964 |
Names related to Donelle
Danielle, Donnell, Donell, Danyelle, Danelle, Dionel, Doniel, Danell
More Irish names
Oscar, Rowan, Rory, Maeve, Finn, Aiden, Ryan, Nolan, Quinn, Orla, Cody, Erin, Ronan, Connor, Declan, Casey
Sources
Figures from 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, “Donelle: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/donelle, updated 20 October 2026.