Donell
Donell is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Donell Cooper, American basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League Donell Jones, American R&B singer, songwriter and record producer Donell Nixon, American former center and left fielder in Major League Baseball Donell Taylor, American professional basketball player
Meaning & Origin of Donell
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Donell is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Donell Cooper, American basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League Donell Jones, American R&B singer, songwriter and record producer Donell Nixon, American former center and left fielder in Major League Baseball Donell Taylor, American professional basketball player
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Donell
As a girl name
Donell first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1932, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1968, when 24 Donells were born — ranking #2,538 that year. As of 2026, Donell ranks #11,408 for girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 591 Donells have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Donell first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1915, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1959, when 99 Donells were born — ranking #767 that year. As of 2026, Donell ranks #7,517 for boys with 8 births, falling sharply (-38%). In total, more than 5K Donells have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Donell
Phonetically similar names — useful when Donell 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 Donell
What does the name Donell mean?
How popular is Donell in 2026?
When was Donell most popular?
In which U.S. states is Donell most popular?
Is Donell a unisex name?
What names go well with Donell?
About the name Donell
Donell is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 5K births in the dataset. Donell's peak popularity came in 1959 when it ranked #762. Use the chart and map above to compare Donell's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1959 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "D" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.