Donna is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Donna means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Donna across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Donna has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Donna is a girl name of Italian origin meaning “lady”. from the Italian word for a woman of rank.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 833,874 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 441 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 5,952 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 16 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 3,502 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 7,054 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 Donna per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1959 (36,539/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1976 (454/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1982 (272/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (69/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (5/yr).
Donna has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1959, when it ranked #14 nationally (given to 36,539 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1950s.
Tonya · Dana · Danny · Diana · Deanna · Don · Dianne · Donnie
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