Meaning
A recorded historical Celtic reconstruction: prince or chief of the world.
This is the source’s historical root interpretation, not an assignment of rank or destiny to a modern bearer.
A LITTLE UNCOMMON. ENTIRELY YOURS.
Donald
Meaning, origin and pronunciation, with published usage by place and year.
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Origin
Scottish Gaelic and Old Irish ancestry
The entry traces the given name to Scottish Gaelic Dòmhnall and Old Irish Domnall, with Medieval Latin reinforcement.
English pronunciation
/ˈdɒn.əld/; /ˈdɑn.əld/
UK and US/Canadian English readings have different first vowels.
Recorded English reading, as published. Accents and preferred pronunciations can differ.
Published name usage
Counts apply only to the exact spelling, place, year and recorded usage shown. Places are separate; these figures are never added into a worldwide total. Missing or suppressed records never mean zero.
| Place | Year | Recorded usage | Published births | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 1992 | Girls | 11 | 1393 | 2025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published. |
| Canada | 2025 | Boys | 29 · preliminary | 885 | 2025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published. |
| France | 2020 | Boys | 5 (rounded to 5) | 5183 | Counts are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Ranks use unrounded publisher counts with randomly ordered ties; equally rounded counts can have different ranks. National coverage excludes Mayotte before 2012. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Automated direction labels are withheld for this rounded-count series. Rank basis: source published. |
| England & Wales | 2025 | Boys | 18 | 1466 | Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published. |
| Scotland | 2025 | Boys | 8 | 400 | Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published. |
| Ireland | 2019 | Boys | 3 | 764 | Names below three occurrences are unpublished. Accent recording changed in 2018; comparisons across that boundary may not describe the same spelling coverage. Counts refer to registrations in the year. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Rank basis: source published. |
| United States | 2004 | Girls | 8 | 11624 | Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts. |
| United States | 2025 | Boys | 395 | 690 | Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts. |
Canada, Ireland and France coverage includes confidently matched existing profiles only; unmatched spellings are awaiting review. French counts are rounded to five.
Sources & notes
Open an entry for its source, credit, licence and full qualifications. Different name traditions remain separate.
Meaning: A recorded historical Celtic reconstruction: prince or chief of the world.
Checked against cited source
This is the source’s historical root interpretation, not an assignment of rank or destiny to a modern bearer.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Nickname: Don
Checked against cited source
The exact English Don entry explicitly lists Donald among its full-name forms. Don can also stand for other names; this is an optional nickname, not a preference assumed for every Donald. River and political epithet senses are excluded. Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names under CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Nickname: Donny
Checked against cited source
The exact English Donny given-name entry explicitly connects it to Donald. The separately listed Doncaster place nickname is unrelated to this personal-name relationship. Preferred nicknames vary by bearer. Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names under CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Origin: Scottish Gaelic and Old Irish ancestry
Checked against cited source
The entry traces the given name to Scottish Gaelic Dòmhnall and Old Irish Domnall, with Medieval Latin reinforcement.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
English pronunciation: /ˈdɒn.əld/; /ˈdɑn.əld/
Checked against cited source
UK and US/Canadian English readings have different first vowels.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
country_CA
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country_FR
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country_IE
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(C) Crown copyright. Data supplied by National Records of Scotland.
Attribution: (C) Crown copyright. Data supplied by National Records of Scotland.
License: Open Government Licence v3.0
Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence
Attribution: Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence
License: Open Government Licence v3.0
U.S. Social Security Administration
Attribution: U.S. Social Security Administration
Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.
Credit: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.
License: Statistics Canada Open Licence
Adaptation: Adapted from Statistics Canada, First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators, Table 17-10-0147-01, reference years 1991–2025. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.
Credit: Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.
License: CC BY 4.0
Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: joined the published count and rank indicators and matched unambiguous existing spellings. Source values retained.
Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.
Credit: Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.
License: Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab)
Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: column names and sex codes mapped and unique case-only spellings matched to existing profiles. Published rounded counts and ranks retained.