Donice
A feminine given name derived from Latin meaning "gift of the Lord".
Name Census estimates that about 313 living Americans carry the first name Donice. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Donice today is around 65 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Donice births was 1955 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Donice. 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 Donice is about 65 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Donices were born before 1971.
People living today
313
~ 1 in 1,095,062 Americans
Peak year
1955
24 babies that year
Average age
65
years old
1994 SSA rank
#14,061
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Donice: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Donice from the 1910s through to the 1990s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 143 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Donice 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 Donice during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Donices live
Origin
Meaning and history of Donice
The given name Donice has its origins in the Latin language, derived from the root word "donum," which means "gift." It emerged during the Middle Ages, particularly in regions influenced by Latin culture and the Christian faith.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Donice can be traced back to the 9th century, when it appeared in historical records from the Carolingian Empire. During this period, the name was associated with individuals of noble birth or those who held positions within the Church.
In the 11th century, the name Donice gained prominence in certain regions of Italy, particularly in the northern territories. It was often bestowed upon individuals born into affluent families or those with close ties to the Catholic Church. Historical records from this era mention several notable figures bearing the name Donice, though their specific details have been lost to time.
As the centuries passed, the name Donice continued to be used across various parts of Europe, albeit with varying degrees of popularity. In the 13th century, a notable figure named Donice di Bagnoregio, an Italian scholar and philosopher, gained recognition for his contributions to the study of logic and metaphysics.
During the Renaissance period, the name Donice experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly among the Italian aristocracy. One notable bearer of the name was Donice Malatesta, a noblewoman from the influential Malatesta family of Rimini, who lived from 1468 to 1542.
In the 17th century, the name Donice found its way into the literary world, with the character of Donice appearing in the play "The Alchemist" by the renowned English playwright Ben Jonson, first performed in 1610.
Other notable individuals bearing the name Donice throughout history include Donice Pimentel, a Spanish painter active in the 18th century, renowned for her intricate religious artwork; Donice Vanderbilt, an American socialite and philanthropist from the famous Vanderbilt family, who lived from 1876 to 1952; and Donice Baudelaire, a French poet and critic of the late 19th century, known for his contributions to the development of the Symbolist movement.
While the name Donice has experienced periods of waning popularity over the centuries, it has maintained a unique and enduring presence, carrying with it a rich history that spans multiple cultures and eras.
People
Donice + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Donice 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
Donice: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Donice?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 313 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Donice 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 1,095,062 US residents.
Is Donice a common name?
We classify Donice as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 567 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Donice most popular?
The single biggest year for Donice was 1955, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Donice is about 65 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Donice a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Donice 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.