Donnell is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Donnell means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Donnell across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Donnell has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Donnell is a boy name of Irish (Gaelic) origin meaning “world ruler”. An anglicized form of the Irish name Domhnall.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 15,305 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 133 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 Donnell per year, United States (1912 to 2025). United States peaked in 1970 (307/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2000 (17/yr).
Donnell is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1970, when it ranked #1,021 nationally (given to 307 babies that year).
Daniel · Danielle · Daniela · Daniella · Danelle · Donal · Danyell · Dannielle
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