Dontell
One who inspires people and shares wisdom.
Name Census estimates that about 187 living Americans carry the first name Dontell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dontell today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dontell births was 1991 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dontell. 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
187
~ 1 in 1,832,911 Americans
Peak year
1991
14 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
2022 SSA rank
#12,841
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Dontell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dontell from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 90 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
Dontell 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 Dontell 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 Dontell
The name Dontell has its origins in the Old French language, tracing back to the Middle Ages around the 12th century. It is derived from the combination of the French words "don" meaning "gift" and "teil" meaning "linden tree." This suggests that the name may have been associated with someone who lived near or worked with linden trees, which were highly valued for their strong and flexible wood.
In medieval France, the name Dontell was most commonly found in regions like Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France, where the French language was predominant. It appeared in various historical records, including parish registers and tax rolls, indicating its widespread use among common folk and nobility alike.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Dontell can be traced back to a 13th-century manuscript called the "Chronique de Saint-Denis," which chronicles the history of the French monarchy. The document refers to a man named Dontell de Montfort, who was a knight in the service of King Philip II of France (1165-1223).
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the name Dontell. One such figure was Dontell Delacroix (1498-1567), a French painter and sculptor during the Renaissance period, known for his intricate woodcarvings and religious artworks.
In the 17th century, Dontell Mercier (1623-1689) was a prominent French philosopher and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of probability theory. His work, "Logique ou l'Art de Penser," published in 1678, became a influential text in the study of logic and reasoning.
During the French Revolution, Dontell Danton (1759-1794) was a leading figure in the revolutionary movement. As a prominent orator and politician, he played a crucial role in the abolition of the French monarchy and the establishment of the First French Republic.
In the 19th century, Dontell Baudelaire (1821-1867) was a renowned French poet and literary critic, best known for his work "Les Fleurs du Mal," which explored themes of decadence, death, and the human condition. His poetry had a profound influence on the Symbolist and Modernist movements in literature.
Another notable figure was Dontell Cézanne (1839-1906), a French Post-Impressionist painter who revolutionized the art world with his unique style, characterized by bold brushstrokes and a focus on capturing the essence of his subjects through the use of simplified forms and vibrant colors.
People
Dontell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dontell 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
Dontell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dontell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 187 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dontell 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 1,832,911 US residents.
Is Dontell a common name?
We classify Dontell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 193 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dontell most popular?
The single biggest year for Dontell was 1991, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dontell is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dontell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dontell 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.