Donail
A male given name of Irish origin, derived from Domhnall, meaning "world leader".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Donail. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Donail today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Donail births was 1977 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Donail. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Donail. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1977
5 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1977 SSA rank
#6,104
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Donail: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Donail by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Donail during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Donail
The given name Donail has its origins rooted in the Celtic languages, specifically Gaelic, which was spoken across ancient Ireland, Scotland, and parts of northern England. Linguists trace the name back to the Old Irish word "domhnall," which translates to "world ruler" or "world mighty." This suggests that the name may have once carried connotations of power, authority, and potentially even royalty.
In early Christian times, the name gained popularity as a result of its association with Saint Donail, a 6th-century Irish monk and missionary who is credited with spreading Christianity throughout parts of Scotland and northern England. His veneration likely contributed to the name's widespread usage among the Gaelic-speaking populations of the British Isles during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Donail mac Aeda" in the year 956 AD. This entry suggests that the name was already in use among the Irish nobility and ruling classes by the 10th century.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Donail. One of the most famous was Donail O'Brien, who ruled as King of Munster in Ireland from 1189 to 1194. Another was Donail MacGregor, a prominent Scottish clan chief who lived in the 15th century and played a significant role in the struggles between the Scottish Highlanders and the English Crown.
In the religious sphere, Donail O'Fallon, an Irish-born Franciscan friar who lived from 1642 to 1714, is remembered for his work as a missionary and theologian in the American colonies. Additionally, Donail Mor O'Dubhda, who lived from 1598 to 1636, was a renowned Irish historian and chronicler of the Gaelic world.
Beyond these historical figures, the name Donail has also been borne by lesser-known individuals throughout the centuries, including Scottish and Irish poets, artists, and scholars, whose contributions to their respective cultures have helped preserve the cultural legacy and significance of this ancient Celtic name.
People
Donail + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Donail as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Donail: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Donail?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Donail going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Donail a common name?
We classify Donail as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Donail most popular?
The single biggest year for Donail was 1977, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Donail is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Donail in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Donail a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Donail in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Donail still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Donail in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Donail can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Donail?
Want to know how many people share the name Donail? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.