Boy · #1,750 in 2026

Don

Don is a masculine given name in the Irish language, as well as a short form of two masculine given names in the English language. The Irish name is derived from the Irish donn; the name can either mean "brown", or "chief", "noble". The Irish name is a variant spelling of Donn. The English name is unrelated to the Irish name; this name is a short form of the given name Donald or Donovan.

Current Rank
#1,750
Peak Rank
#50 (1946)
Total Babies
168K
5-Yr Trend
+1%
1907
First Year
1992
Last Year
1931
Peak Year
#1126
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
76
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Don

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Don is a masculine given name in the Irish language, as well as a short form of two masculine given names in the English language. The Irish name is derived from the Irish donn; the name can either mean "brown", or "chief", "noble". The Irish name is a variant spelling of Donn. The English name is unrelated to the Irish name; this name is a short form of the given name Donald or Donovan.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Don

Don first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 34 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1946, when 4,111 Dons were born — ranking #79 that year. As of 2026, Don ranks #1,750 for baby boys with 95 births, holding steady (+1%). In total, more than 168K Dons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Don

Phonetically similar names — useful when Don is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Don

What does the name Don mean?
Don is a masculine given name in the Irish language, as well as a short form of two masculine given names in the English language. The Irish name is derived from the Irish donn; the name can either mean "brown", or "chief", "noble". The Irish name is a variant spelling of Donn. The English name is unrelated to the Irish name; this name is a short form of the given name Donald or Donovan.
How popular is Don in 2026?
In 2026, Don ranks #1,750 among boys' names in the U.S., with 95 babies given the name that year.
When was Don most popular?
Don reached its peak popularity in 1946, ranking #50 that year with 4,111 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Don most popular?
Don has historically been most popular in Utah, Idaho, Oregon. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Don.
Is Don a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Don is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Don?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Don include Harvey, Edgar, Clyde. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Don

Don is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 168K births in the dataset. Don's peak popularity came in 1946 when it ranked #50. Use the chart and map above to compare Don's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.