Donnell
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- doh-NEL
- Origin
- Irish
- US rank, 2025
- #4,049 for boys
Donnell is a boys' name of Irish origin, meaning “world ruler”. In 2025 it ranked 4,049th for boys in the US (26 babies).
What does Donnell mean?
Irish: Irish surname from the personal name Domhnall
“world ruler”
The O'Donnells, descendants of a Domhnall, were lords of Tír Chonaill in present-day County Donegal.
Is Donnell a girl's or a boy's name?
Donnell is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 26 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Donnell 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 17 boys.
Half of all the boys named Donnell in the UK since 1996 were born between 2000 and 2007, the years shaded on the chart below.
Donnell in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 | #4,214 |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 4 | #4,147 |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 8 | #2,534 |
| 2009 | 5 | #3,395 |
| 2008 | 8 | #2,384 |
| 2007 | 13 | #1,667 |
| 2006 | 9 | #1,995 |
| 2005 | 11 | #1,701 |
| 2004 | 7 | #2,157 |
| 2003 | 7 | #2,054 |
| 2002 | 10 | #1,490 |
| 2001 | 7 | #1,833 |
| 2000 | 17 | #990 |
| 1999 | 8 | #1,582 |
| 1998 | 6 | #1,932 |
| 1997 | 7 | #1,678 |
| 1996 | 4 | #2,442 |
How popular is Donnell in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 4,049th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 26 about 1 in 66,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Falling down 49% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 26 boys in the US were named Donnell, making it the 4,049th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,688th. Its busiest year was 1982, with 290 boys. It first appears in the records in 1912.
Half of all the boys named Donnell in the US since 1880 were born between 1962 and 1991, the years shaded on the chart below.
Donnell in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | #4,049 |
| 2024 | 22 | #4,567 |
| 2023 | 23 | #4,452 |
| 2022 | 32 | #3,531 |
| 2021 | 29 | #3,736 |
| 2020 | 46 | #2,688 |
| 2019 | 34 | #3,344 |
| 2018 | 60 | #2,261 |
| 2017 | 51 | #2,492 |
| 2016 | 75 | #1,936 |
| 2015 | 78 | #1,870 |
| 2014 | 89 | #1,701 |
| 2013 | 82 | #1,762 |
| 2012 | 88 | #1,710 |
| 2011 | 75 | #1,865 |
| 2010 | 105 | #1,536 |
| 2009 | 79 | #1,851 |
| 2008 | 125 | #1,361 |
| 2007 | 135 | #1,287 |
| 2006 | 139 | #1,202 |
| 2005 | 110 | #1,361 |
| 2004 | 134 | #1,161 |
| 2003 | 107 | #1,304 |
| 2002 | 123 | #1,152 |
| 2001 | 155 | #986 |
| 2000 | 149 | #991 |
| 1999 | 135 | #1,026 |
| 1998 | 131 | #1,029 |
| 1997 | 159 | #871 |
| 1996 | 165 | #844 |
| 1995 | 171 | #817 |
| 1994 | 197 | #744 |
| 1993 | 195 | #746 |
| 1992 | 203 | #722 |
| 1991 | 207 | #699 |
| 1990 | 239 | #650 |
| 1989 | 249 | #629 |
| 1988 | 239 | #614 |
| 1987 | 220 | #610 |
| 1986 | 206 | #623 |
| 1985 | 217 | #593 |
| 1984 | 259 | #534 |
| 1983 | 218 | #572 |
| 1982 | 290 | #498 |
| 1981 | 260 | #521 |
| 1980 | 271 | #516 |
| 1979 | 249 | #537 |
| 1978 | 205 | #587 |
| 1977 | 227 | #552 |
| 1976 | 254 | #505 |
| 1975 | 269 | #488 |
| 1974 | 265 | #494 |
| 1973 | 256 | #486 |
| 1972 | 238 | #508 |
| 1971 | 268 | #491 |
| 1970 | 271 | #492 |
| 1969 | 254 | #481 |
| 1968 | 248 | #479 |
| 1967 | 243 | #482 |
| 1966 | 220 | #510 |
| 1965 | 214 | #524 |
| 1964 | 240 | #506 |
| 1963 | 214 | #540 |
| 1962 | 263 | #488 |
| 1961 | 205 | #551 |
| 1960 | 225 | #527 |
| 1959 | 209 | #541 |
| 1958 | 217 | #521 |
| 1957 | 195 | #553 |
| 1956 | 205 | #522 |
| 1955 | 171 | #563 |
| 1954 | 150 | #603 |
| 1953 | 162 | #555 |
| 1952 | 150 | #568 |
| 1951 | 134 | #600 |
| 1950 | 143 | #564 |
| 1949 | 90 | #721 |
| 1948 | 85 | #728 |
| 1947 | 76 | #787 |
| 1946 | 62 | #838 |
| 1945 | 50 | #899 |
| 1944 | 50 | #898 |
| 1943 | 41 | #1,053 |
| 1942 | 55 | #888 |
| 1941 | 56 | #847 |
| 1940 | 42 | #994 |
| 1939 | 36 | #1,070 |
| 1938 | 34 | #1,109 |
| 1937 | 37 | #1,056 |
| 1936 | 40 | #989 |
| 1935 | 38 | #1,040 |
| 1934 | 39 | #1,038 |
| 1933 | 23 | #1,405 |
| 1932 | 36 | #1,126 |
| 1931 | 36 | #1,128 |
| 1930 | 41 | #1,080 |
| 1929 | 30 | #1,296 |
| 1928 | 32 | #1,272 |
| 1927 | 24 | #1,561 |
| 1926 | 32 | #1,278 |
| 1925 | 22 | #1,628 |
| 1924 | 22 | #1,675 |
| 1923 | 23 | #1,588 |
| 1922 | 17 | #1,951 |
| 1921 | 27 | #1,448 |
| 1920 | 15 | #2,130 |
| 1919 | 15 | #2,062 |
| 1918 | 15 | #2,072 |
| 1917 | 22 | #1,528 |
| 1916 | 7 | #3,176 |
| 1915 | 15 | #1,877 |
| 1914 | 11 | #1,974 |
| 1913 | 10 | #1,802 |
| 1912 | 7 | #2,044 |
Nicknames for Donnell
- Don 9 boys in the UK in 2025
Names like Donnell
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Ryan, Daniel, Cody, Kevin, Declan, Casey, Brian, Dylan, Regan, David, Michael, Connor
Names related to Donnell
More Irish names
Oscar, Rowan, Rory, Maeve, Finn, Aiden, Nolan, Quinn, Orla, Erin, Ronan, Kennedy, Callan, Lennon, Cillian, Kian
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, “Donnell: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/donnell, updated 20 October 2026.