Donnell is a name of Irish origin that has been used for both boys and girls throughout history. The name is derived from the ancient Gaelic name "Donnghal," which means "dark stranger" or "strong challenger." This name was popular among the early Irish kings, with the most notable being Donnell Caemhach O'Brien, who ruled as king of Munster in the 13th century.
The name Donnell has also been associated with the legendary Fianna, a group of mythical Celtic warriors. According to legend, one of the leaders of the Fianna was named Donnell, and he was known for his bravery and skill in battle.
Today, the name Donnell is still used as a given name, but it has become less common compared to its popularity during the Middle Ages. Despite this, it remains a unique and meaningful name with a rich history behind it.
Based on the provided statistics, we can observe the trends and popularity of the name Donnell in the United States over time.
The name Donnell first appeared with a notable number of births in 1912, with 7 babies being named Donnell that year. This number increased slightly to 10 births in 1913 before rising again to 11 in 1914 and 15 in 1915. However, there was a decrease in popularity from 1916 onwards for the next few years, with only single-digit numbers of births until 1921 when it jumped up to 27 births.
The popularity of Donnell continued to fluctuate throughout the 1920s and 1930s, reaching a peak of 41 births in 1930 before dropping back down again. However, starting from 1946, we began to see a steady increase in the number of babies named Donnell year after year.
In 1946, there were 62 births, and this figure nearly doubled by 1950 with 143 births. The popularity of Donnell continued to grow throughout the 1950s and 1960s, reaching an all-time high of 271 births in 1970.
However, after peaking in the early 1970s, the name's popularity began to decline once again. By 1983, there were only 218 births, and this downward trend continued throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
Despite the decrease in popularity, Donnell remained relatively common throughout these decades, with at least 150 births recorded each year from 1980 to 2003. After 2003, however, there was a significant drop-off in the number of babies named Donnell, with fewer than 100 births per year between 2004 and 2016.
In recent years, the popularity of Donnell has continued to decline, with only 29 births recorded in 2021 and just 23 in 2023. Overall, since the early 1900s, there have been a total of 14,231 babies named Donnell born in the United States.