Donal is a boy name with a rare feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Donal means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Donal across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Donal has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Donal is a boy name of Irish (Gaelic) origin meaning “world ruler”. An Irish form of Donald.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 3,712 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 69 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 7 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 267 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 5,491 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Donal per year, Ireland (1964 to 2025). Ireland peaked in 1974 (214/yr) · United States peaked in 1930 (98/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1998 (18/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2001 (7/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2020 (4/yr).
Donal is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1930, when it ranked #1,286 nationally (given to 98 babies that year).
Daniel · Donnell · Danial · Danyel · Donell · Danilo · Donnalee · Donella
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