Donal
Donald is a Scottish masculine given name. It is derived from the Gaelic name Dòmhnall. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *Dumno-ualos. The final -d in Donald is partly derived from a misinterpretation of the Gaelic pronunciation by English speakers. A short form of Donald is Don, and pet forms of Donald include Donnie and Donny. The feminine given name Donella is derived from Donald.
- Irish
Meaning & Origin of Donal
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Donald is a Scottish masculine given name. It is derived from the Gaelic name Dòmhnall. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *Dumno-ualos. The final -d in Donald is partly derived from a misinterpretation of the Gaelic pronunciation by English speakers. A short form of Donald is Don, and pet forms of Donald include Donnie and Donny. The feminine given name Donella is derived from Donald.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Irish
The Story of Donal
American parents first put Donal on the record books as a baby boy name in 1909, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1930, when 98 Donals were born — ranking #621 that year. The 1930s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 21% of all recorded Donals. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2023 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 4K Donals have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Donal
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Donal. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Domhnall
- Dónal
Names that sound like Donal
Phonetically similar names — useful when Donal 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 Donal
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About the name Donal
Donal is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1909 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Donal's peak popularity came in 1930 when it ranked #621. Use the chart and map above to compare Donal's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1930 →
- Names of the 1930s →
- Names starting with "D" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.