Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1970

Donnell

Gender Unisex · 7% girls Rank 2025 #4,067 Trend ↓ Falling 48%
Rank 2025
#4,067
among boys · ↑530 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
26
named Donnell · +18% vs 2024
How common
1 in 65,695
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1970
307 babies
All-time total
15,305
#1,003 all-time among boys
First recorded
1912
in Social Security records

Donnell popularity over time

15,305 babies have been named Donnell since 1912, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.050.10.150.218801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – 102 102 10 – #1,543
1920s 10 244 254 25 +149% #1,276
1930s 52 360 412 41 +62% #994
1940s 99 607 706 71 +71% #723
1950s 184 1,736 1,920 192 +172% #523
1960s 295 2,326 2,621 262 +37% #479
1970s 248 2,502 2,750 275 +5% #486
1980s 116 2,429 2,545 255 -7% #498
1990s 17 1,802 1,819 182 -29% #653
2000s 5 1,256 1,261 126 -31% #988
2010s – 737 737 74 -42% #1,538
2020s (to 2025) – 178 178 30 -60% #2,700

Where Donnell is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 24 0.01 outside top 500
2027 22 0.01 outside top 500
2028 20 0.01 outside top 500
2029 19 0.01 outside top 500
2030 18 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Donnell

Donnell is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,067 in 2025 with 26 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1912, 15,305 American babies have been named Donnell, about 93% boys and 7% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1970, when 307 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

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 Donnell stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Donnell?

The median living Donnell is about 46 years old; half are between 32 and 59. An estimated 13 thousand people named Donnell are alive in the United States today.

median 46 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Donnell 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 – – 26 #4,067
2024 – – 22 #4,597
2023 – – 23 #4,494
2022 – – 32 #3,558
2021 – – 29 #3,759
2020 – – 46 #2,700
2019 – – 34 #3,371
2018 – – 60 #2,272
2017 – – 51 #2,499
2016 – – 75 #1,944
2015 – – 78 #1,878
2014 – – 89 #1,703
2013 – – 82 #1,769
2012 – – 88 #1,715
2011 – – 75 #1,875
2010 – – 105 #1,538
2009 – – 79 #1,855
2008 – – 125 #1,366
2007 – – 135 #1,291
2006 5 #17,900 139 #1,205
2005 – – 110 #1,366
2004 – – 134 #1,166
2003 – – 107 #1,306
2002 – – 123 #1,156
2001 – – 155 #988
2000 – – 149 #994
1995 – – 171 #821
1990 7 #10,526 239 #653
1985 12 #5,762 217 #593
1980 15 #4,794 271 #517
1975 25 #2,897 269 #488
1970 36 #2,210 271 #492
1965 21 #2,693 214 #524
1960 26 #2,324 225 #527
1955 25 #2,171 171 #564
1950 11 #3,276 143 #565
1945 11 #2,780 50 #904
1940 6 #3,977 42 #997
1935 6 #3,865 38 #1,044
1930 – – 41 #1,083
1925 – – 22 #1,642
1920 – – 15 #2,159
1915 – – 15 #1,897
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Donnell, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Donnell?

The median living Donnell is about 46 years old. Half of all living Donnells are between 32 and 59 years old.

How many people named Donnell are alive today?

An estimated 13 thousand people named Donnell are alive in the United States, based on 15,305 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Donnell in 2025?

Donnell ranked #4,067 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 26 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Donnell?

15,305 babies have been named Donnell in the United States since 1912, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Donnell most popular?

Donnell peaked in 1970, when 307 newborns received the name.

Is Donnell a boy or girl name?

Donnell is used for both: about 7% of babies named Donnell have been girls and 93% boys.

Is the name Donnell rising or falling?

Donnell is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Donnell become more popular?

Donnell is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 18 boys named Donnell in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Donnell

Names that sound and feel close to Donnell: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Donnell with similar names → More names starting with D →