Unisex name · since 1922
Donnel
776 babies named Donnel in U.S. Social Security records since 1922, with the highest year being 1980. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #6,016 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 776
- born since 1922
- 1970s
- peak decade
776 boys have been named Donnel since 1922, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Donnel has been recorded 776 times among boys since 1922, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1922 to 2017.
- #6,016 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 776 born since 1922
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Donnel ranks #6,016 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 776 born since 1922, peaking in the 1970s.
- #6,016 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 776
- born since 1922
- 1970s
- peak decade
Donnel's 776 recorded births place it above 86.76% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by New York.
Donnel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Donnel splits its recorded history at 1973: 52% of all births land in the more recent half, 48% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1922 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1980 peak of 20 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Donnel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1922–2017
- Peak year (1980)
- 20
- Annual births at peak, across 96 years of records
Donnel popularity over time - girls
47 total births recorded since 1960 (Donnel as girls' name)
Donnel by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (130 births, 17% of the file).
1970s was Donnel's strongest decade.
130 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Donnel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 29
1920s
29 births
- 1930s
1930s
54 births
- 1940s
1940s
53 births
- 1950s
1950s
82 births
- 1960s
1960s
118 births
- 1970s
1970s
130 births
- 1980s
1980s
127 births
- 1990s
1990s
98 births
- 2000s 46
2000s
46 births
- 2010s 39
2010s
39 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 130 births (17% of all-time use).
How Donnel 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 Donnel's total volume
Donnel by state
Where Donnel concentrates geographically, total births since 1922
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 11 | 1.4% |
| #2 | California | | 7 | 0.9% |
11 of 776 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Donnel's data
- Donnel's decade-level peak was the 1970s (130 total births); usage has since declined to 39 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Donnels (11 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Donnel
Nearby Names Like Donnel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Donnel
Compare Donnel side by side: Donnel vs Donald Donnel vs Don Donnel vs Donovan
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Donnel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1980)
Similar record span (~95 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1922–2017 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Donnel 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 August 2026.