NameRealm
Donnell

Donnell: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“world ruler”
Origin
Irish
Say it
doh-NEL · 2 syllables
Used for
Boys (93% of all uses)

Anglicized form of the Irish name Domhnall. It comes from Old Irish elements meaning 'world' and 'rule'; related forms include Donal and Donald.

Irish namesNames meaning royaltyNames meaning nobleClassic namesInternational names

How popular is Donnell?

20246.6 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Donnell in 202422

2024 rank#4,573 boys

Peak year1975

Total US babies since 188015,279

Donnell is fading: recent use is about 39% of its level ten years before.

Names like Donnell

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Liamresolute protector · Irish
  • Aidenlittle fire · Irish
  • Nolandescendant of Nuallán · Irish
  • Ryanlittle king · Irish
  • Quinndescendant of Conn · Irish
  • Declanuncertain, possibly full of goodness · Irish
  • Connorlover of hounds · Irish
  • Roryred king · Irish

Donnell questions

What does the name Donnell mean?

Donnell means "world ruler". It comes from Irish. Anglicized form of the Irish name Domhnall. It comes from Old Irish elements meaning 'world' and 'rule'; related forms include Donal and Donald.

Is Donnell a boy or girl name?

Donnell is mainly a boy's name in US records (93% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Donnell?

22 US babies were named Donnell in 2024. Its peak year was 1975.

How do you pronounce Donnell?

Donnell is usually pronounced doh-NEL.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.