Dontel
A masculine name of uncertain origin, possibly a blend of "Don" and "Tel".
Name Census estimates that about 201 living Americans carry the first name Dontel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dontel today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dontel births was 1996 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dontel. 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
201
~ 1 in 1,705,245 Americans
Peak year
1996
19 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
2008 SSA rank
#13,051
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Dontel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dontel from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 109 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dontel 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 Dontel 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 Dontel
The given name Dontel has its origins in the Gaulish culture of ancient France, dating back to the 5th century BCE. It is derived from the Proto-Celtic root "dontos," meaning "tooth" or "tusk," possibly referring to a prominent physical feature or a symbolic association with strength and resilience.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dontel can be found in the Gaulish inscriptions discovered in the region of modern-day Burgundy, France. These inscriptions, carved into stone tablets, suggest that the name was used by the aristocratic warrior class within the Gaulish tribes.
During the Roman conquest of Gaul in the 1st century BCE, the name Dontel gained some recognition among the Roman legions, as they encountered and interacted with Gaulish warriors bearing this name. However, its usage remained predominantly confined to the Gaulish territories and did not spread significantly throughout the Roman Empire.
In the Middle Ages, the name Dontel resurfaced in various regions of present-day France, particularly in the northern provinces. It is believed that the name was carried forward by descendants of the ancient Gauls, who maintained their cultural traditions despite the Roman and subsequent Frankish invasions.
Notable historical figures who bore the name Dontel include Dontel de Montfort (1160-1218), a French nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars in southern France. Another prominent individual was Dontel d'Arcy (1325-1389), a French knight and diplomat who served under King Charles V during the Hundred Years' War with England.
In the 16th century, Dontel Leclerc (1510-1572), a French Protestant theologian and scholar, gained recognition for his translations of biblical texts and his contributions to the Reformation movement in France.
Moving forward, Dontel Duvergier (1680-1745), a French jurist and legal scholar, made significant contributions to the development of French civil law through his influential treatises and commentaries.
Lastly, Dontel Lacroix (1795-1867), a French explorer and naturalist, is notable for his expeditions to the Caribbean and South America, where he documented numerous previously undescribed plant and animal species.
While the name Dontel has maintained a modest presence throughout French history, its usage has become increasingly rare in modern times, with many preferring more contemporary variations or alternative names.
People
Dontel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dontel 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
Dontel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dontel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 201 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dontel 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 1,705,245 US residents.
Is Dontel a common name?
We classify Dontel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 208 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dontel most popular?
The single biggest year for Dontel was 1996, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dontel is about 34 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dontel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dontel in the SSA data are male. 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.