Unisex · #13,924 in 2026

Donelle

Donelle is a name with a single cultural origin: English.

  • English
Current Rank
#13,924
Peak Rank
#1,986 (1970)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #1,986 (1K total)
👦 Boy peak #2,379 (323 total)
👧As Girl Name
1922
First Year
2007
Last Year
1970
Peak Year
#1986
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
60
Years Active
👦As Boy Name
1967
First Year
2019
Last Year
1979
Peak Year
#2379
Peak Rank
323
Total Count
35
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Donelle

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

Donelle is a name with a single cultural origin: English.

Origin data from Behind the Name .

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English

The Story of Donelle

As a girl name

Donelle first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1922, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1970, when 42 Donelles were born — ranking #1,986 that year. As of 2026, Donelle ranks #13,924 for girls with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 1K Donelles have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Donelle first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1967, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1979, when 20 Donelles were born — ranking #2,379 that year. As of 2026, Donelle ranks #9,752 for boys with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 323 Donelles have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

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

Variants & Related Forms of Donelle

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Donelle. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Donelle

Phonetically similar names — useful when Donelle 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 Donelle

What does the name Donelle mean?
Donelle is a name with a single cultural origin: English.
What is the origin of the name Donelle?
Donelle has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Donelle in 2026?
In 2026, Donelle ranks #13,924 among girls' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.
When was Donelle most popular?
Donelle reached its peak popularity in 1970, ranking #1,986 that year with 42 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Donelle most popular?
Donelle has historically been most popular in Pennsylvania, Illinois, California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Donelle.
Is Donelle a unisex name?
Yes — Donelle is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 78% of Donelles assigned female and 22% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Donelle?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Donelle include Kandra, Tracia, Tamikia. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Donelle?
Common variants and related forms of Donelle include Dona, Donna. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Donelle

Donelle is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1922 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Donelle's peak popularity came in 1970 when it ranked #1,986. Use the chart and map above to compare Donelle'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.