Dondra
Of American origin meaning "wanderer" or "gypsy".
Name Census estimates that about 426 living Americans carry the first name Dondra. It is a predominantly female name (96.1% of registrations). The average person named Dondra today is around 55 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dondra births was 1970 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dondra. 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.
People living today
426
~ 1 in 804,588 Americans
Peak year
1970
27 babies that year
Average age
55
years old
1993 SSA rank
#9,134
Tracked since 1943
Census
Dondra in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 500 people with the first name Dondra, which placed it at #20,593 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#20,593
National first-name rank
People counted
500
500 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
51.6% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dondra
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Dondra is White at 51.6%. The next largest groups are Black (42.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Dondra described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Dondra at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.6% · 258
- Black or African American42.2% · 211
- Two or more races3.2% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 5
Gender
Gender distribution for Dondra
Dondra leans heavily female at 96.1% of total registrations, but 20 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Dondra as a male name
- Ranked #9,134 in 1993
- 5 male births in 1993
- Peak: 1983 (9 births)
Dondra as a female name
- Ranked #14,126 in 1996
- 5 female births in 1996
- Peak: 1970 (27 births)
2020 Census snapshot
In the 2020 Census sex table, Dondra leans strongly female. 452 people counted with this name were female (89.9%), compared with 51 male bearers (10.1%).
Popularity
Dondra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dondra from the 1940s through to the 1990s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 160 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dondra 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 Dondra during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dondras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Georgia, Illinois, Texas recorded the most babies named Dondra, while Texas, Illinois, Georgia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dondra
The name Dondra has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which was prominent in ancient India. It is derived from the word "dundubhi," meaning "drum" or "war drum." This suggests that the name may have been associated with warriors or individuals who played a significant role in battles and military campaigns.
In Hindu mythology, there is a reference to a king named Dondra, who was known for his bravery and valor on the battlefield. However, details about this figure are scarce, and it is unclear whether the name originated from this mythological character or if it predates the legend.
The earliest recorded use of the name Dondra can be traced back to the 5th century CE in various ancient Sanskrit texts and inscriptions found in the Indian subcontinent. During this period, the name was predominantly used by members of the Kshatriya caste, which was associated with warriors and rulers.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Dondra was a renowned military commander who lived during the reign of the Gupta Empire in the 6th century CE. He was celebrated for his strategic prowess and led numerous successful campaigns, expanding the empire's territorial boundaries.
Another individual named Dondra gained recognition as a skilled architect and sculptor during the 10th century CE. His intricate carvings and architectural designs can still be found adorning several ancient temples and monuments across India.
In the 13th century, a scholar and philosopher named Dondra made significant contributions to the field of Ayurvedic medicine. His treatises on herbal remedies and traditional healing practices were widely studied and revered.
During the Mughal era, which spanned from the 16th to the 18th century, a poet and mystic named Dondra gained fame for his powerful and evocative verses that explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition. His works were celebrated by the Mughal court and continue to be studied by literature enthusiasts.
Throughout its history, the name Dondra has been associated with individuals who have made notable contributions in various fields, from warfare and architecture to literature and philosophy. While its origins can be traced back to ancient Sanskrit roots, the name has transcended cultural and geographical boundaries, becoming a part of the rich tapestry of names found across the globe.
People
Dondra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dondra 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
Dondra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dondra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 426 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dondra 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 804,588 US residents.
Is Dondra a common name?
We classify Dondra as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 509 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dondra most popular?
The single biggest year for Dondra was 1970, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dondra is about 55 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Dondra in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 500 people with the name Dondra, or 0.17 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #20,593 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Dondra in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Dondra?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Dondra leans strongly female. 452 people counted with this name were female (89.9%), compared with 51 male bearers (10.1%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Dondra?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Dondra is White at 51.6%. The next largest groups are Black (42.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Dondra most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Dondra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.6% (258 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Dondra in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dondra a female name?
Yes, 96.1% of people registered as Dondra 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 Dondra still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dondra 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 Dondra 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.
How many people share the name Dondra?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.