Donald is a name of Scottish origin that means "proud chief". It is derived from the Old Gaelic name Domhnall, which is composed of the elements "dòmhnaich" meaning "worldwide" or "universal", and "-ll" meaning "chief".
The name Donald has been used in Scotland for centuries, with the first recorded use being in the 12th century. It was a popular name among the Scottish nobility, with several kings of Scotland bearing the name, including Donald II who ruled from 889 to 900.
Donald also has connections to Irish and Norse mythology. In Irish legend, Donald is one of the names of the hero known as Donn, while in Norse mythology, Donald is associated with the god Thor, who was sometimes called Thondar or Thunder-Donald.
Today, Donald remains a popular name in Scotland and around the world. It has been worn by many notable figures throughout history, including American presidents Donald Trump and Donald Duck, the famous cartoon character created by Walt Disney. However, despite these connections to politics and pop culture, the name Donald stands independently as a strong and proud Scottish name with its own rich history and meaning.
The given statistics provide an interesting overview of the popularity of the name Donald in the United States over time. The data spans from 1880 to 2023, offering a century and a half's worth of trends.
From 1880 to around 1911, the number of births with the name Donald remained relatively low, fluctuating between fewer than 70 births per year to just over 100. However, starting in 1912, we begin to see a significant increase in popularity.
Between 1912 and 1930, the number of babies named Donald increased dramatically, from 2872 births in 1912 to a peak of 29789 births in 1932. This represents a nearly tenfold increase over just two decades.
The name Donald reached its peak popularity between the late 1920s and early 1930s, with consistently high numbers of births per year during this period. However, after 1932, we see a gradual decrease in popularity. By the mid-1940s, the number of babies named Donald had decreased to around 20,000 births per year.
The trend continues with a steady decline through the decades, reaching just over 700 births per year in the late 1960s and early 1970s. By the mid-1980s, fewer than 5000 babies were named Donald annually.
From the 1990s onwards, the name Donald has become quite rare, with less than 2000 births per year on average. The most recent data available shows that in 2023, there were 414 births with the name Donald.
In total, over the period from 1880 to 2023, there have been 1,413,982 babies named Donald born in the United States. This demonstrates a fascinating journey of popularity for this name over time.