2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Donatell
An Italian surname derived from the given name Donato, meaning "gift from God".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Donatell. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Donatell surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Donatell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Donatell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Donatell
The surname Donatell has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian personal name "Donato," which comes from the Latin word "donatus," meaning "given" or "gifted." This name was often given to children as a reference to them being a gift from God.
The earliest recorded instances of the Donatell surname can be found in historical documents from the 13th century in regions such as Tuscany and Umbria. It is believed that the name was initially used as a patronymic, indicating a person's lineage and relationship to their father or ancestor named Donato.
In the 14th century, the Donatell name appeared in the Catasto, a tax record from the city of Florence. This document mentions a certain Piero di Donato, who was a wealthy merchant and landowner in the area.
During the Renaissance period, the Donatell family produced several notable individuals. One of the most famous was Donato Bramante (1444-1514), an Italian architect who is renowned for his contributions to the design of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
Another prominent figure with the Donatell surname was Luca Donatello (1386-1466), a renowned Renaissance sculptor from Florence. He is best known for his bronze statue of David, which is considered a masterpiece of Italian Renaissance art.
In the 17th century, the Donatell name can be found in records from the city of Naples. One notable individual from this period was Giambattista Donatelli (1619-1673), a Baroque painter and fresco artist who worked on numerous churches and palaces in the region.
During the 19th century, the Donatell surname spread to other parts of Europe and beyond. One notable figure was Antonio Donatelli (1808-1884), an Italian poet and patriot who played a role in the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification.
Throughout history, the Donatell surname has been associated with various places and regions in Italy, including Tuscany, Umbria, Naples, and other areas where the name has deep roots and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Donatell
Among Census respondents with the surname Donatell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Donatell bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Donatell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 7
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Donatell
Donatell appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-7 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,201 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,121 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 15,201 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 1,121 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Donatell surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #143,149 | #144,270 | -0.8% |
| Count | 116 | 117 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Donatell bearers went from 116 to 117 (+0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,121 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #144,270.
FAQ
Donatell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Donatell?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Donatell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Donatell?
Donatell ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Donatell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Donatell.
Has Donatell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Donatell went from 116 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Donatell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Donatell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Donatell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Donatell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (6.0%), Black (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Donatell (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Donatell mean?
An Italian surname derived from the given name Donato, meaning "gift from God". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Donatell (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Donatell?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Donatell is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.