Donn
Donn is a given name in the Irish language. Donn was originally a byname, which had two meanings: one of the meanings was "brown"; the other was "chief" or "noble". Its use as a given name represents a shortened form of various Gaelic names having donn- as their first element. A variant form of the name is Don.
Meaning & Origin of Donn
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Donn is a given name in the Irish language. Donn was originally a byname, which had two meanings: one of the meanings was "brown"; the other was "chief" or "noble". Its use as a given name represents a shortened form of various Gaelic names having donn- as their first element. A variant form of the name is Don.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Donn
Donn first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1912, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1949, when 341 Donns were born — ranking #366 that year. As of 2026, Donn ranks #12,301 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 7K Donns have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Donn
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Donn A. Starry (born 1925), retired United States Army four-star general
- Donn Arden (1916–1994), American choreographer
- Donn Cabral (born 1989), American track and field athlete
- Donn B. Murphy (21st century), President and Executive Director of the National Theatre in Washington, D.C.
- Donn Beach (1907–1989) American businessman, adventurer, and restaurateur
- Donn Cambern (born 1929), American film editor
- Donn Clendenon (1935–2005), first baseman in Major League Baseball
- Donn Cothaid mac Cathail (died 773), King of Connacht
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Donn
Phonetically similar names — useful when Donn 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 Donn
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About the name Donn
Donn is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1912 and has accumulated 7K births in the dataset. Donn's peak popularity came in 1949 when it ranked #366. Use the chart and map above to compare Donn's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1949 →
- Names of the 1940s →
- 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.