Donard
Strong ruler or mighty chief of Irish origin.
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Donard. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Donard today is around 69 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Donard births was 1928 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Donard. 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
- • The typical person named Donard is about 69 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Donards were born before 1967.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Donard. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1928
6 babies that year
Average age
69
years old
1930 SSA rank
#4,143
Tracked since 1928
Popularity
Donard: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Donard from the 1920s through to the 1930s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Donard 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 Donard during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Donard
The name Donard has its origins in the Irish Gaelic language, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old Irish words "donn," meaning brown or dark, and "ard," meaning high or noble. The name is thought to have originated as a descriptive term for someone with a dark complexion or someone of high birth or rank.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Donard can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a man named Donard Ua Flannacan who lived in the 12th century. The name also appears in various Irish genealogical records and manuscripts from the Middle Ages.
In terms of historical figures bearing the name Donard, one notable person was Donard O'Donoghue, a 16th-century Irish chieftain and lord of the O'Donoghue clan in County Kerry, Ireland. He played a significant role in the Desmond Rebellions against English rule in Ireland during the late 16th century.
Another prominent individual with the name Donard was Donard MacCarthy Mor, a 17th-century Irish nobleman and military leader. He served as the Lord of Muskerry and fought in the Irish Confederate Wars against the English parliamentary forces in the 1640s.
In the 19th century, Donard Morgan was a Welsh engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of the steam locomotive. He was born in 1800 and is credited with designing and constructing several innovative steam engines.
Another historical figure named Donard was Donard Geelan, an Irish republican activist and author who lived from 1886 to 1971. He was involved in the Irish revolutionary movement and wrote several works on Irish history and politics.
Lastly, Donard Curwen was a British composer and music educator who lived from 1883 to 1980. He is known for his influential work in developing a system of musical notation and teaching methods for children, known as the Curwen Method.
While the name Donard has its roots in Irish Gaelic culture, it has been used across various regions and time periods, with notable individuals bearing the name throughout history.
People
Donard + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Donard 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
Donard: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Donard?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Donard 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Donard a common name?
We classify Donard as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Donard most popular?
The single biggest year for Donard was 1928, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Donard is about 69 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 Donard in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Donard a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Donard 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 Donard still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Donard 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 Donard 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 called Donard?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.