Total births
4,827
Unisex name · since 1915
Donell
4,827 babies named Donell in U.S. Social Security records since 1915, with the highest year being 1959. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #9071
- among boys today
- 4,827
- born since 1915
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other boys
4,827 babies have been named Donell since 1915, making it today's #9071 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Donell recorded 4,827 times among boys since 1915, holding rank #9071 nationally today, ahead of 37% of boys, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2025.
- #9071 among boys today
- 4,827 born since 1915
- 1970s peak decade
- 37% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Donell is currently the #9071 unisex name in America, more common than 37% of boys - 4,827 born since 1915, peaking in the 1970s.
- #9071
- among boys today
- 4,827
- born since 1915
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other boys
Donell vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#9071
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 37% of names given to boys today.
1970s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Donell was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
99 babies were named Donell in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
How Donell compares
4,827 Top 12% higher than 88% 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
Donell's all-time total is 13x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Donell | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,827 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 99 | 23 | 22,252 |
Donell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Donell splits its recorded history at 1972: 54% of all births land in the more recent half, 46% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1916 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1959 peak of 99 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Donell at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1959
Current rank
#9,071
Active since
1915
Donell popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2025
- Peak year (1959)
- 99
- Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
Donell popularity over time - girls
591 total births recorded since 1932 (Donell as girls' name)
Donell by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Donell's strongest decade.
812 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Donell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 21
1910s
21 births
- 1920s 107
1920s
107 births
- 1930s 190
1930s
190 births
- 1940s 275
1940s
275 births
- 1950s
1950s
752 births
- 1960s
1960s
724 births
- 1970s
1970s
812 births
- 1980s
1980s
715 births
- 1990s
1990s
515 births
- 2000s
2000s
442 births
- 2010s 209
2010s
209 births
- 2020s 65
2020s
65 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 812 births (17% of all-time use).
How Donell 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 Donell's total volume
Donell vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Donell by state
Where Donell concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 329 | 6.8% |
| #2 | New York | | 283 | 5.9% |
| #3 | California | | 194 | 4.0% |
| #4 | Mississippi | | 130 | 2.7% |
| #5 | Texas | | 125 | 2.6% |
| #6 | Florida | | 119 | 2.5% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 108 | 2.2% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 91 | 1.9% |
Illinois share of Donell's total US births 6.8%
Even split
329 of 4,827 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 21 reporting states.
Donell appears in 21 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Donell? ▼
Donell has been given to 4,827 babies in the U.S. since 1915, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #9071 as of the latest data. 99 babies were born in 1959, its single highest year.
When was Donell most popular? ▼
Donell was most popular in the 1970s decade with 812 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
Where is Donell most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Donell are Illinois (329 births), New York (283 births), California (194 births).
Is Donell a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Donell is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 4,827 births, and as a girl's name it has 591 births.
How long has the name Donell been used? ▼
Records for Donell go back to 1915, giving 111 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Donell? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Donald, Don, Donovan, Donnie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Donell's data
- Donell's decade-level peak was the 1970s (812 total births); usage has since declined to 65 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Illinois records the most Donells (329 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois 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 Donell
Nearby Names Like Donell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Donell
Donald Boy
#673 1,414,824 births
Don Boy
#1776 167,632 births
Donovan Boy
#506 61,684 births
Donnie Boy
#1769 60,928 births
Donte Boy
#1964 15,695 births
Compare Donell side by side: Donell vs Donald Donell vs Don Donell vs Donovan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Donell
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1915–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Donell: #9071 Unisex Name - 4,827 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/donell. 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 Donell 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 July 2026.