Total births
14,279
Unisex name · since 1912
Donnell
Donnell has 14,279 recorded births since 1912 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1982 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4589
- among boys today
- 14,279
- born since 1912
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 68%
- more common than other boys
Donnell currently ranks #4589 among unisex names in America, with 14,279 babies recorded since 1912.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Donnell has been recorded 14,279 times among boys since 1912, currently ranked #4589 nationally and more common than 68% of boys, 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 1912 to 2025.
- #4589 among boys today
- 14,279 born since 1912
- 1970s peak decade
- 68% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Donnell is currently the #4589 unisex name in America, more common than 68% of boys - 14,279 born since 1912, peaking in the 1970s.
- #4589
- among boys today
- 14,279
- born since 1912
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 68%
- more common than other boys
Donnell vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4589
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 68% of names given to boys today.
1970s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Donnell was born in this single decade.
1982
Single peak year
290 babies were named Donnell in 1982 - its busiest year on record.
How Donnell compares
14,279 Top 7% higher than 93% 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
Donnell's all-time total is 39x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Donnell | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 14,279 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 290 | 23 | 22,252 |
Donnell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Donnell's full recorded timeline at 1969, 64% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 36% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1912, with just 7 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1982 peak of 290 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Donnell at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1982
Current rank
#4,589
Active since
1912
Donnell popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (1982)
- 290
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Donnell popularity over time - girls
1,026 total births recorded since 1927 (Donnell as girls' name)
Donnell by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Donnell's strongest decade.
2,502 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Donnell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 102
1910s
102 births
- 1920s 244
1920s
244 births
- 1930s 360
1930s
360 births
- 1940s 607
1940s
607 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,736 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,326 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,502 births
- 1980s
1980s
2,429 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,802 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,256 births
- 2010s 737
2010s
737 births
- 2020s 178
2020s
178 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 2,502 births (18% of all-time use).
How Donnell 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 Donnell's total volume
Donnell vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Donnell by state
Where Donnell concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 1,145 | 8.0% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 949 | 6.6% |
| #3 | California | | 867 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Maryland | | 866 | 6.1% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 819 | 5.7% |
| #6 | District of Columbia | | 707 | 5.0% |
| #7 | Florida | | 684 | 4.8% |
| #8 | Texas | | 658 | 4.6% |
New York share of Donnell's total US births 8.0%
Even split
1,145 of 14,279 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 27 reporting states.
Donnell appears in 27 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Donnell? ▼
Donnell has been given to 14,279 babies in the U.S. since 1912, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #4589 as of the latest data. 290 babies were born in 1982, its single highest year.
When was Donnell most popular? ▼
Donnell was most popular in the 1970s decade with 2,502 total births. The single peak year was 1982.
Where is Donnell most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Donnell are New York (1,145 births), Illinois (949 births), California (867 births).
Is Donnell a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Donnell is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 14,279 births, and as a girl's name it has 1,026 births.
How long has the name Donnell been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Donnell since 1912 -- 114 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Donnell? ▼
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 Donnell's data
- Donnell's decade-level peak was the 1970s (2,502 total births); usage has since declined to 178 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Donnells (1,145 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 Donnell
Nearby Names Like Donnell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Donnell
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 Donnell side by side: Donnell vs Donald Donnell vs Don Donnell vs Donovan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Donnell
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, 1912–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Donnell: #4589 Unisex Name - 14,279 Births, Peak 1982." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/donnell. 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 Donnell 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.