Total births
1,414,824
Boys' name · since 1880
Donald
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 1,414,824 babies named Donald, peaking in 1934. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #673
- among boys today
- 1,414,824
- born since 1880
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
1,414,824 babies have been named Donald since 1880, making it today's #673 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Donald has been recorded 1,414,824 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #673 nationally and more common than 95% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1930s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #673 among boys today
- 1,414,824 born since 1880
- 1930s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Donald is currently the #673 boys' name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 1,414,824 born since 1880, peaking in the 1930s.
- #673
- among boys today
- 1,414,824
- born since 1880
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Donald vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#673
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
1930s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Donald was born in this single decade.
1934
Single peak year
30,408 babies were named Donald in 1934 - its busiest year on record.
How Donald compares
1,414,824 Top 0% higher than 100% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Donald's all-time total is 3,855x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Donald | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,414,824 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 30,408 | 23 | 22,252 |
Donald's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Donald splits its recorded history at 1953: 38% of all births land in the more recent half, 62% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1881 (27 births) -- compare that against the 1934 peak of 30,408 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Donald at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1934
Current rank
#673
Active since
1880
Donald popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1934)
- 30,408
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Donald popularity over time - girls
5,563 total births recorded since 1890 (Donald as girls' name)
Donald by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Donald's strongest decade.
283,718 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Donald births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 548
1880s
548 births
- 1890s 1,786
1890s
1,786 births
- 1900s 4,632
1900s
4,632 births
- 1910s 57,001
1910s
57,001 births
- 1920s
1920s
191,816 births
- 1930s
1930s
283,718 births
- 1940s
1940s
247,834 births
- 1950s
1950s
273,574 births
- 1960s
1960s
172,628 births
- 1970s 82,435
1970s
82,435 births
- 1980s 50,843
1980s
50,843 births
- 1990s 26,756
1990s
26,756 births
- 2000s 12,005
2000s
12,005 births
- 2010s 6,709
2010s
6,709 births
- 2020s 2,539
2020s
2,539 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 283,718 births (20% of all-time use).
How Donald compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Donald's total volume
Donald vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Donald by state
Where Donald concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 105,217 | 7.4% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 102,176 | 7.2% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 95,634 | 6.8% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 90,385 | 6.4% |
| #5 | California | | 85,526 | 6.0% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 77,069 | 5.4% |
| #7 | Texas | | 52,580 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 46,822 | 3.3% |
New York share of Donald's total US births 7.4%
Even split
105,217 of 1,414,824 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Donald appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Donald? ▼
1,414,824 babies have been named Donald since 1880. It currently ranks #673 among boys. The peak year was 1934 with 30,408 births.
When was Donald most popular? ▼
Donald was most popular in the 1930s decade with 283,718 total births. The single peak year was 1934.
Where is Donald most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Donald are New York (105,217 births), Pennsylvania (102,176 births), Ohio (95,634 births).
How long has the name Donald been used? ▼
Records for Donald go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Donald? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Don, Donovan, Donnie, Donte, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Donald's data
- Donald's decade-level peak was the 1930s (283,718 total births); usage has since declined to 2,539 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Donalds (105,217 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Donald
Nearby Names Like Donald
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Donald
Don Boy
#1776 167,632 births
Donovan Boy
#506 61,684 births
Donnie Boy
#1769 60,928 births
Donte Boy
#1964 15,695 births
Donnell Boy
#4589 14,279 births
Compare Donald side by side: Donald vs Don Donald vs Donovan Donald vs Donnie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Donald
Cal #672
7,858 births · Peak 2025
Nathanael #674
22,227 births · Peak 2000
Marvin #671
254,192 births · Peak 1928
Kareem #675
18,161 births · Peak 1980
Leonard #670
294,334 births · Peak 1921
Aarav #676
8,209 births · Peak 2015
Riggs #669
2,986 births · Peak 2024
Corey #677
185,020 births · Peak 1989
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Donald: #673 Boys' Name - 1,414,824 Births, Peak 1934." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/donald. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Donald draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.