Doncella
A feminine Spanish name meaning "maiden" or "virgin".
Name Census estimates that about 25 living Americans carry the first name Doncella. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Doncella today is around 71 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Doncella births was 1955 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Doncella. 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 Doncella is about 71 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Doncellas were born before 1965.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Doncella. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
25
~ 1 in 13,710,174 Americans
Peak year
1955
15 babies that year
Average age
71
years old
1959 SSA rank
#5,738
Tracked since 1952
Popularity
Doncella: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Doncella 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 Doncella during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0 | 36 | 36 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Doncella
The name Doncella originates from the Spanish language and has its roots in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "doncella," which means "young unmarried woman" or "maiden." This term itself can be traced back to the Latin word "domnicella," a diminutive form of "domina" (lady or mistress).
Doncella was commonly used as a title or honorific for unmarried noblewomen in medieval Spain and Portugal. It was a way to distinguish young women of noble birth who were not yet married. The name was often used alongside the family name or the name of the estate to which the woman belonged.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Doncella can be found in the 13th-century Spanish epic poem "El Cantar de Mio Cid," where it is used to refer to the daughters of the main character, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, known as El Cid. In the poem, they are referred to as "las doncellas" (the maidens).
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Doncella. In the 14th century, Doncella López de Córdoba was a Spanish noblewoman and the wife of Martín Fernández de Córdoba, a prominent military leader during the Reconquista. Another notable figure was Doncella de Guzmán, a 15th-century Spanish noblewoman and the wife of Juan de Guzmán, Duke of Medina Sidonia.
In the 16th century, Doncella de Portugal was a Portuguese noblewoman and the daughter of King Manuel I of Portugal. She was known for her beauty and intelligence and was courted by many European nobles. Another historical figure was Doncella de Castilla (1520-1586), a Spanish noblewoman who served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Joanna of Castile.
In the 17th century, Doncella de Mendoza (1610-1679) was a Spanish playwright and poet who wrote several plays and poems that were widely popular during her time. She was a member of the prestigious Mendoza family and was known for her wit and literary talent.
While the name Doncella is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of Spanish and Portuguese cultural heritage, serving as a reminder of the historical importance placed on the status of unmarried noblewomen in medieval times.
People
Doncella + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Doncella 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
Doncella: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Doncella?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 25 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Doncella 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 13,710,174 US residents.
Is Doncella a common name?
We classify Doncella as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 36 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Doncella most popular?
The single biggest year for Doncella was 1955, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Doncella is about 71 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 Doncella in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Doncella a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Doncella in the SSA data are female. 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 Doncella still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Doncella 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 Doncella 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 Doncella?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.