Doranna
Feminine name of Irish-Gaelic origin, derived from "doron" meaning gift, bestowed.
Name Census estimates that about 20 living Americans carry the first name Doranna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Doranna today is around 65 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Doranna births was 1948 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Doranna. 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 Doranna is about 65 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Dorannas were born before 1971.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Doranna. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
20
~ 1 in 17,137,717 Americans
Peak year
1948
6 babies that year
Average age
65
years old
1973 SSA rank
#7,684
Tracked since 1948
Popularity
Doranna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Doranna from the 1940s through to the 1970s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 12 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Doranna 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 Doranna 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 Doranna
The name Doranna originates from the Greek language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is a feminine given name derived from the Greek word "doron," meaning "gift." The name can be interpreted as "gift of God" or "precious gift."
In ancient Greek mythology, the name is associated with the goddess Doris, who was one of the Oceanids, the 3,000 daughters of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. Doris was known for her gentle and nurturing nature, and her name was often used as a symbol of fertility and abundance.
The earliest recorded use of the name Doranna can be traced back to the 5th century BCE in ancient Greek literature and inscriptions. One notable historical figure bearing this name was Doranna of Corinth, a renowned poet and philosopher who lived in the 4th century BCE. Her works, though largely lost, were highly regarded in her time.
In the Middle Ages, the name Doranna gained popularity among the European nobility and aristocracy. One prominent figure was Doranna of Aquitaine (1163-1199), a Duchess of Aquitaine and Queen of England as the wife of King John. She played a significant role in the political affairs of her time and was known for her intelligence and diplomatic skills.
During the Renaissance period, the name Doranna was associated with the arts and literature. Doranna Alighieri (1265-1321), the daughter of the famous Italian poet Dante Alighieri, was a celebrated poet and scholar in her own right. Her literary works and contributions to the preservation of her father's legacy earned her recognition in literary circles.
In more recent history, Doranna Durgin (1815-1895) was an American writer and abolitionist. She was actively involved in the anti-slavery movement and used her writings to advocate for the abolition of slavery and women's rights.
Other notable figures bearing the name Doranna include Doranna Pulitzer (1880-1957), an American philanthropist and member of the influential Pulitzer family; Doranna Cooley (1899-1984), an American actress and singer; and Doranna Mondragon (1933-2009), a Native American artist and activist from the Navajo Nation.
Overall, the name Doranna has a rich historical legacy spanning various cultures and time periods, carrying connotations of divine gifts, femininity, and artistic expression.
People
Doranna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Doranna 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
Doranna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Doranna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 20 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Doranna 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 17,137,717 US residents.
Is Doranna a common name?
We classify Doranna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 39.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 28 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Doranna most popular?
The single biggest year for Doranna was 1948, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Doranna is about 65 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Doranna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Doranna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Doranna 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.
Is Doranna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Doranna in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Doranna can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Doranna?
Want to know how many people share the name Doranna? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.