Donise
A feminine name of French origin meaning "gift from God".
Name Census estimates that about 280 living Americans carry the first name Donise. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Donise today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Donise births was 1969 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Donise. 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
280
~ 1 in 1,224,123 Americans
Peak year
1969
20 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
1993 SSA rank
#14,103
Tracked since 1948
Popularity
Donise: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Donise 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 125 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
Donise 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 Donise 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 Donise
The name Donise is of Latin origin, with roots that can be traced back to the Roman Empire. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "donum," meaning "gift." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon children who were perceived as a precious gift.
During the height of the Roman civilization, the name Donise was relatively uncommon, though there are a few historical references to individuals bearing this name. One notable figure was Donise Valerian, a wealthy Roman merchant who lived in the 3rd century AD and was renowned for his philanthropic endeavors.
As the Roman Empire expanded, the name Donise spread across Europe, particularly in the regions that were once under Roman influence. It gained popularity in parts of modern-day Italy, France, and Spain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Donise can be found in the writings of the 6th-century Italian scholar Cassiodorus. He documented a woman named Donise who lived in the city of Ravenna and was known for her exceptional skills in weaving intricate tapestries.
During the Middle Ages, the name Donise was relatively rare, but it did appear in several historical records. One notable figure was Donise of Normandy (1020-1087), a noblewoman who played a significant role in the Norman conquest of England.
In the Renaissance period, the name Donise gained some popularity among the Italian aristocracy. One of the most famous bearers of this name was Donise Borgia (1462-1518), a member of the powerful Borgia family and the daughter of Pope Alexander VI.
As the centuries passed, the name Donise spread to other parts of Europe and eventually made its way across the Atlantic to the Americas. In the 19th century, there was a notable American artist named Donise Woodward (1825-1890), who was celebrated for her landscape paintings.
Another notable figure was Donise Delacroix (1875-1952), a French sculptor who gained recognition for her intricate bronze figurines depicting scenes from Greek mythology.
People
Donise + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Donise 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
Donise: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Donise?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 280 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Donise 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 1,224,123 US residents.
Is Donise a common name?
We classify Donise as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 338 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Donise most popular?
The single biggest year for Donise was 1969, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Donise is about 57 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Donise a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Donise 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.