Donelle
A feminine name of French origin meaning "gift from God".
Name Census estimates that about 1,259 living Americans carry the first name Donelle. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 77.7% of registrations being female. The average person named Donelle today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Donelle births was 1979 (48 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Donelle. 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
1.3K
~ 1 in 272,243 Americans
Peak year
1979
48 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
2019 SSA rank
#10,012
Tracked since 1922
Gender
Gender distribution for Donelle
Donelle is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,450 total registrations, 323 (22.3%) were male and 1,127 (77.7%) were female.
Donelle as a male name
- Ranked #10,012 in 2019
- 7 male births in 2019
- Peak: 1979 (20 births)
Donelle as a female name
- Ranked #14,327 in 2007
- 7 female births in 2007
- Peak: 1970 (42 births)
Popularity
Donelle: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Donelle from the 1920s through to the 2010s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 385 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Donelle 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 Donelle during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Donelles live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, New York, Illinois recorded the most babies named Donelle, while Pennsylvania, Illinois, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Donelle
The name Donelle is believed to have its origins in the Old French language, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a feminine form of the name Donnel, which itself is a variant of the name Donald. The name Donald is derived from the Gaelic words "dômhnall," meaning "world" and "vail," meaning "ruler" or "chief."
In its earliest recorded use, the name Donelle appeared in various historical documents and records from the 12th and 13th centuries in regions of what is now modern-day France and parts of the British Isles. It was particularly prevalent among noble families and the aristocracy during this period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Donelle was Lady Donelle de Montfort, a noblewoman who lived in the late 12th century and was known for her involvement in the political affairs of the time. Another notable figure was Donelle of Avignon, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in the 13th century and contributed significantly to the literary and intellectual culture of the era.
In the 14th century, the name Donelle gained popularity in Scotland, where it was associated with several influential families. One such individual was Donelle MacGregor (1325-1390), a prominent clan chief known for her leadership and strategic prowess during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
As the name spread throughout Europe, it also found its way into various religious and literary works. In the 15th century, a character named Donelle appeared in the medieval French poem "Le Roman de la Rose," reflecting the name's continued presence in the cultural and artistic spheres of the time.
During the Renaissance period, the name Donelle was associated with several notable figures, including Donelle Borghese (1516-1580), an Italian noblewoman and patron of the arts, and Donelle de Valois (1550-1614), a French princess who played a significant role in the religious and political affairs of her time.
Throughout the centuries, the name Donelle has been borne by numerous individuals across various fields, including arts, literature, and politics. While its popularity may have fluctuated over time, it has maintained a consistent presence in various cultures and societies, reflecting its rich historical roots and enduring legacy.
People
Donelle + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Donelle 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
Donelle: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Donelle?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,259 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Donelle 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 272,243 US residents.
Is Donelle a common name?
We classify Donelle as "Rare". It ranks above 91.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,450 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Donelle most popular?
The single biggest year for Donelle was 1979, when 48 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Donelle is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Donelle a female name?
Yes, 77.7% of people registered as Donelle 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.
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.