Origin, Meaning, And History Of Donald
The masculine name Donald has Scottish-Gaelic roots and has been around for centuries. Inspired by the Gaelic word ‘Dòmhnall,’ it means ‘ruler of the world. ‘Dòmhnall’ originates from the Proto-Celtic term ‘Dumno-ualos,’ which means ‘world-ruler.’ It is believed that the second ‘d’ in the name is a result of English speakers’ erroneous articulation of Scottish names. The name also has a Latin connection as it seems inspired by the name ‘Donvaldus.’ It is also a derivative of the Old Irish name ‘Domnall.’ In modern Irish, the name is cognate with ‘Dónal.’
Donald’s history can be traced back to the 9th century when Donald I became the first Christian king of Scotland. As many as six early Scottish kings bore this name. It was a popular name in Scotland and gained popularity in English-speaking countries in the 20th century.
Donald is not just a first name but also a surname. It is a short form of the last name MacDonald or McDonald. The surname Donald is also a shorter version of the Irish last name ‘O’Donell’ and is linked to surnames’ Donnelly’ and ‘Donovan.’ Some other surnames that seem inspired by the name include Donaldson and Donalds.
Not just a given name, but Donald is also the name of a town in the Shire of Buloke, western Victoria, Australia. It is also the name of two unincorporated communities in Georgia and Wisconsin.
It may not be wrong to name Walt Disney’s most celebrated animated character, Donald Duck, one of the most famous name bearers. The character Donald Farfrae in the novel The Mayor of Casterbridge is a Scotsman known to be favored by luck as he finds success in anything he does. In the movie, Zookeeper, Donald the Monkey is considered one of the zoo’s coolest animals. So, if you are looking for a classic name for your boy, Donald can be a good choice.
Donald
Boy
Christianity
Scottish Gaelic
5
Two
1 word, 6 letters, 2 vowels, 4 consonants
Medium length and easy to pronounce
How To Pronounce Donald?
The way you pronounce a name can make all the difference.
Listen to the sound of the name Donald in English.
Famous People With The Name Donald
- Donald TrumpFormer American President and business tycoon
- Donald BradmanAustralian cricketer, considered the greatest batsman of all time
- Donald Adeosun FaisonAmerican actor, known for playing the popular character Dr. Chris Turk in the popular TV show, ‘Scrubs’
- Donald A. FossAmerican businessman, founder of finance Credit Acceptance
- Donald Kent “Deke” SlaytonAmerican aeronautical engineer, known for being one of the original NASA Mercury Seven astronauts
Donald On The Popularity Chart
The name was popular in the early 80s, but slowly lost its allure and dropped in popularity. Check out the graphs for more details.
Popularity Over Time
As observed in the chart below, Donald was a popular name until the early 90s, when it slowly declined in popularity. In 2021, the name had barely 466 names registered under it.
Source: Social Security AdministrationRank Over Time
The ranking of this name has been on a decline for years now and seems to show no improvement. Following its downward trend, the name will take time to make it to the top 100 names.
Source: Social Security AdministrationDonald On MomJunction Popularity Chart
Know how popular the name Donald is among the MomJunction readers. We used a unique approach to gather relevant insights for creating this popularity chart by observing the interactions and interest around the name on our platform. See what the trend has been among our readers over these past years.
Names With Similar Sound As Donald
Like the sound of the name Donald? Here are some more names that might be of interest to you.
Popular Sibling Names For Donald
If you are looking for some matching sibling names that resonate with Donald, check our suggestions here.
Boy Sibling Names For Donald
Find matching brother names for Donald and create a wonderful team of siblings.
DanailDanal Daneal Danel Danial Daniel Danielius Daniels Danil Danila Girl Sibling Names For Donald
Looking for some suitable sister names for Donald? Check out our collection of beautiful and unique names.
DanalaDanalyn Danelea Danell Danella Danelle Daniela Danielan Daniele Daniell Other Popular Names Beginning With D
Looking for more baby names starting with the letter D to resonate with your family’s naming tradition or to rhyme with the sibling names? Find a range of alternative names starting with this letter.
Names With Similar Meaning As Donald
There are many names that symbolize power and strength. Here are names having similar meanings to Donald.
Popular Songs On The Name Donald
Acrostic Poem On Donald
Dive into the lyrical charm of the name Donald with this acrostic poem. Witness how each letter paints together a story, capturing the name’s individuality, strength, vitality, and sophistication. Inspiring, is it? Why not try a similar poem that describes what you think of your baby’s personality?
Dynamic flair, resonating with delight and divinity.
Optimism filled eyes, deep as the ocean.
Naughty yet nice, you personify that variety is the spice of life.
Aspiring and working hard for true success.
Lively spirit bursting with vivacity and zest for life.
Delightful spark of joy illuminating the world.
Donald’s Zodiac Sign And Birth Star As Per Vedic Astrology
Vedic astrology, also called Jyotisha, provides deep insights into a person’s life based on celestial positions at birth. Rashi and nakshatra, which are an integral part of Jyotisha, are believed to influence an individual’s personality and life events. The following sections give you rashi-related information, such as the associated letters, elements, ruling body, quality, and nakshatra for the name Donald. These details help analyze a person’s characteristics, personality, and behavior.
Zodiac Sign (Rashi)
As shown in the following table, each rashi is associated with specific sounds, which are often used as the starting letters of names for newborns in Hindu families. Each rashi is represented by a figure and one of the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether (Space). One ruling celestial body, known as its 'rashi lord' or 'ruler' is assigned to these rashis. These bodies include Venus, Mars, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn. Furthermore, the rashis are assigned various qualities or gunas.
| Rashi (zodiac sign) | Meena (Pisces) |
|---|---|
| Starting letters for Meena (Pisces) rashi | D, CH, Z, TH |
| Representation | Fishes |
| Element | Water |
| Ruling body | Jupiter |
| Quality | Dual |
Birth Star (Nakshatra)
Another important aspect of Vedic Astrology is the nakshatras, the lunar constellations or star clusters that the Moon occupies during a person's birth. There are 27 nakshatras, each with its own unique qualities, attributes, and symbolism. Each rashi contains two-and-one-fourth nakshatras in it. For example, Aries contains Ashwini, Bharani, and Krithika nakshatras.
The below table provides information on the nakshatras’ degrees on the zodiac circle, their lords and related syllables, for babies born in the Meena (Pisces) rashi. These syllables/phonetics are popularly used to choose the baby name. For precise nakshatra calculation based on your baby's birthplace and date, use our Nakshatra Calculator.
| Nakshatra | Degrees Of The Nakshatra | Nakshatra Lord (Ruler) | Name Syllables |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poorvabhadrapada (Purvabhadra, Pururuttathy) | Pisces (0 to 3.20 degrees) | Jupiter | Se, So, Dha, Dhi, Di, Da, Daa, Dee |
| Uttarabhadrapada (Uthrittathy) | Pisces (3.20 to 16.40 degrees) | Saturn | Du, Tha, Jha, Na, Gna, Jna, Da, Gy |
| Revathi | Pisces (16.40 to 30 degrees) | Mercury | De, Do, Cha, Chaa, Chi, Chee |
Infographic: Know The Name Donald‘s Personality As Per Numerology
Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
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Donald In Different Languages
It’s exciting to see our baby’s name spelled and written in various languages. See how people spell Donald in Spanish, French, German, Italian, and more! Each language has its own way of saying Donald, but it’s still the same special name. Learn how the name looks and sounds in different languages around the world!
| Name | Language | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Donald | English | en |
| 唐纳德 | Chinese | zh-CN |
| डोनाल्ड | Hindi | hi |
| Donald | Spanish | es |
| Donald | French | fr |
| دونالد | Arabic | ar |
| ডোনাল্ড | Bengali | bn |
| Donald | Portuguese | pt |
| Дональд | Russian | ru |
| ڈونلڈ | Urdu | ur |
| Donald | Indonesian | id |
| Donald | German | de |
| ドナルド | Japanese | ja |
| डोनाल्ड | Marathi | mr |
| డోనాల్డ్ | Telugu | te |
| Donald | Turkish | tr |
| டொனால்ட் | Tamil | ta |
| Donald | Vietnamese | vi |
| Donald | Tagalog | tl |
| 도널드 | Korean | ko |
| Donald | Hausa | ha |
| Donald | Swahili | sw |
| Donald | Javanese | jv |
| Donald | Italian | it |
| ਡੋਨਾਲਡ | Punjabi | pa |
| ડોનાલ્ડ | Gujarati | gu |
| โดนัลด์ | Thai | th |
| ಡೊನಾಲ್ಡ್ | Kannada | kn |
| ዶናልድ | Amharic | am |
| डोनाल्ड | Bhojpuri | bho |
| Donald | Yoruba | yo |
How To Communicate The Name Donald In Sign Languages
In Nautical Flags
donald
In Sign Language
donald
In Braille Alphabet
donald
In Morse Code
donald
Name Numerology For Donald
Numerology is an occult system that gives significance to numbers and their influence on human life and destiny. Numerologists attribute specific qualities, energies, and characteristics to a number. Parents who believe in numerology prefer to choose baby names that resonate positively with the child’s unique numerical vibrations, often derived from their date of birth. Here we give a general birth number and personality traits of the name Donald, based on the Pythagorean (Western) system. This analysis will differ from child to child based on their date of birth. You may use our numerology calculator for more personalized information.
Baby Name Lists Containing Donald
Read through our baby name lists that include the name Donald and several other similar names. The wider the choice, the better your selection. Isn't it?
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Movie Titles Inspired By The Name Donald
Discover the presence of Donald in an array of films. Know about the various movies that have this name.
| Movie title | Other titles | Release year |
|---|---|---|
| Daughters of Donald | 2021 | |
| Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump | ¿Está loco Donald Trump?, #Unfit, #UNFIT: A Psychological Thriller, #UNFIT: Malignant Narcissism comes to Washington D.C., #Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump | 2020 |
| Dadda: Donald and Daisy Duck Adventure | 2019 | |
| Donald Cried | Donald zapłakał, Дональд плакал | 2016 |
| Donald Duck 75th Anniversary | 2009 | |
| Donald and Dot Clock Found Dead in Their Home | 2004 | |
| Donald and Luba: A Family Movie | 2000 | |
| Donald Cammell: The Ultimate Performance | 1998 |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the meaning of the name Donald?
The name Donald means ‘ruler of the world.’
2. What is the origin of the name Donald?
Donald has a Scottish Gaelic origin.
3. How to pronounce the name Donald?
Donald is pronounced as do-nald.
4. What are some famous songs or references to the name Donald?
The name Donald has been mentioned in the famous song ‘Donald, Where’s Your Troosers?’ by the Scottish singer and entertainer, Andy Stewart. Another song reference where the name has been mentioned was sung by John Prine, ‘Donald and Lydia.’
5. What are some middle name suggestions or unique combinations that go well with Donald?
The name Donald means world ruler and these middle name suggestions are names with powerful meanings to match the first name. They are Ansaldo, a rare Italian name that means ‘god power’ or ‘god authority.’ Eyal is a Hebrew name that means ‘strength’ or ‘might,’ and Kylo is a name with no certain meaning but inspired by the legendary character from the Star Wars movies.
6. Is Donald a suitable name for a modern baby?
The opinion of whether Donald is a suitable name for a baby in today’s age is subjective and can depend on individual reasons and cultural context. The popularity of the name Donald has been declining in the US over recent years, but parents can still give the name to their baby boy if they like it.
7. Can Donald be used for both boys and girls?
Over the years, the name Donald has been mostly used as a masculine name. But with time, it is not uncommon for masculine names to be used as feminine names. So parents may choose to use the name Donald for their little girl.
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