Donald
Name of Scottish kings and an early saint, from Scottish Gaelic Dòmhnall and reinforced by Medieval Latin Donvaldus ~ Donaldus, from Old Irish Domnall, from Proto-Celtic…
Every Donald since 1880 — 1,420,387 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Donald
Donald is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #690 in 2025 with 395 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 1,420,387 American babies have been named Donald. Its peak came in 1934, when 30,518 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1930s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Donald stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Donald year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 395 | #690 |
| 2024 | — | — | 408 | #673 |
| 2023 | — | — | 415 | #659 |
| 2022 | — | — | 403 | #677 |
| 2021 | — | — | 468 | #596 |
| 2020 | — | — | 450 | #609 |
| 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 | #333 |
| 2007 | — | — | 999 | #321 |
| 2006 | — | — | 1,098 | #303 |
| 2005 | — | — | 1,150 | #289 |
| 2004 | 8 | #11,921 | 1,251 | #263 |
| 2003 | — | — | 1,308 | #253 |
| 2002 | — | — | 1,289 | #252 |
| 2001 | — | — | 1,470 | #231 |
| 2000 | — | — | 1,609 | #217 |
| 1995 | 8 | #9,841 | 2,252 | #155 |
| 1990 | 11 | #7,454 | 4,177 | #87 |
| 1985 | 37 | #2,610 | 4,750 | #66 |
| 1980 | 46 | #2,198 | 6,269 | #53 |
| 1975 | 57 | #1,675 | 7,197 | #42 |
| 1970 | 64 | #1,531 | 12,397 | #30 |
| 1965 | 61 | #1,412 | 16,033 | #26 |
| 1960 | 87 | #1,167 | 22,744 | #19 |
| 1955 | 69 | #1,211 | 27,726 | #14 |
| 1950 | 51 | #1,287 | 26,999 | #14 |
| 1945 | 47 | #1,145 | 22,138 | #12 |
| 1940 | 84 | #763 | 23,115 | #9 |
| 1935 | 112 | #614 | 29,674 | #7 |
| 1930 | 175 | #507 | 29,052 | #7 |
| 1925 | 105 | #720 | 19,193 | #10 |
| 1920 | 46 | #1,107 | 11,941 | #16 |
| 1915 | 20 | #1,695 | 7,116 | #20 |
| 1910 | 6 | #2,210 | 860 | #44 |
| 1905 | — | — | 425 | #59 |
| 1900 | — | — | 328 | #79 |
| 1895 | — | — | 203 | #96 |
| 1890 | 5 | #1,385 | 109 | #131 |
| 1885 | — | — | 47 | #242 |
| 1880 | — | — | 46 | #246 |
Famous people named Donald
- Donald Trump Politician · b. 1946
- Donald Sutherland Actor · b. 1935
- Donald Winnicott Psychologist · 1896–1971
- Donald Pleasence Actor · 1919–1995
- Donald Rumsfeld Politician · b. 1932
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Donald mean?
Name of Scottish kings and an early saint, from Scottish Gaelic Dòmhnall and reinforced by Medieval Latin Donvaldus ~ Donaldus, from Old Irish Domnall, from Proto-Celtic *Dubnowalos (“prince / chief of the world”).
How popular is the name Donald in 2025?
Donald ranked #690 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 395 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Donald?
1,420,387 babies have been named Donald in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Donald most popular?
Donald peaked in 1934, when 30,518 newborns received the name.
Is Donald a boy or girl name?
Donald is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Donald rising or falling?
Donald is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Donald?
Well-known people named Donald include Donald Trump (politician), Donald Sutherland (actor), Donald Winnicott (psychologist).