Unisex name · since 1912

Donnis

Since 1912, U.S. Social Security records show 1,046 babies named Donnis, peaking in 1948. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#7,278 of 72,339
all-time among girls
1,046
born since 1912
1940s
peak decade

Donnis is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 1,046 have been recorded since 1912.

Donnis has 1,046 recorded births among girls since 1912, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1940s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 1981.

  • #7,278 of 72,339 all-time among girls
  • 1,046 born since 1912
  • 1940s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Donnis ranks #7,278 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,046 born since 1912, peaking in the 1940s.

#7,278 of 72,339
all-time among girls
1,046
born since 1912
1940s
peak decade
Above the archive median
All-time archive position

Donnis's 1,046 recorded births place it above 89.92% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.

9 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

9 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Mississippi.

Donnis's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Donnis's full recorded timeline at 1945, 47% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 53% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1977, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1948 peak of 42 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Donnis popularity over time - girls

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–1981

Last recorded 1981
Peak year (1948)
42
Annual births at peak, across 70 years of records
01020304050 191219231931193919471955196319711981 6

Donnis popularity over time - boys

466 total births recorded since 1920 (Donnis as boys' name)

Unisex variant - 466 births
0510152025 192019341942194919561967197920092023 5

Donnis by decade

1940s is the heaviest window (288 births, 28% of the file).

1940s was Donnis's strongest decade.

288 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.

Donnis births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1940s at 288 births (28% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

How Donnis compares to similarly-sized names

Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Donnis's total volume

Donnis vs 15 similarly-sized girls names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%5%10%15% 050100150 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -25, 14.1%-17, 12%-48, 7.2%-42, 5.5%-103, 3%-52, 6%-37, 7.9%-106, 4.5%-71, 4%-40, 5.8%-115, 2.9%-77, 4%-39, 5%-32, 5.8%-34, 6.2%Donnis-70, 4%Donnis
Donnis vs 15 similarly-sized girls names

Donnis by state

Where Donnis concentrates geographically, total births since 1912

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Donnis
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 Mississippi
43 4.1%
#2 North Carolina
17 1.6%
#3 Alabama
13 1.2%
#4 Louisiana
7 0.7%
#5 Minnesota
6 0.6%
#6 Pennsylvania
6 0.6%
#7 Georgia
5 0.5%
#8 Missouri
5 0.5%
Mississippi share of Donnis's total US births 4.1%
Even split

43 of 1,046 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.

Donnis appears in 9 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Donnis?
1,046 babies have been named Donnis since 1912. All-time, it sits at #7,278 of 72,339 girls' names by recorded births. It was last recorded in 1981. The peak year was 1948 with 42 births.
Where does Donnis sit in the SSA name archive?
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Donnis ranks #7,278 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Donnis most popular?
Donnis was most popular in the 1940s decade with 288 total births. The single peak year was 1948.
Where is Donnis most popular?
The top states for the name Donnis are Mississippi (43 births), North Carolina (17 births), Alabama (13 births).
Is Donnis a unisex name?
Yes, Donnis is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 1,046 births, and as a boy's name it has 466 births.
How long has the name Donnis been used?
Records for Donnis go back to 1912, giving 70 years of history through 1981.
What names are similar to Donnis?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Donna, Dona, Donnie, Donald, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.

What to do with Donnis's data

  • Donnis's decade-level peak was the 1940s (288 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • Mississippi records the most Donniss (43 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Mississippi names

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Donnis

Nearby Names Like Donnis

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Donnis

Names with a similar number of total births

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Donnis: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1912–1981 (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 Donnis 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.