Don
Boy name · #1793 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Don? In official American birth records, Don has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Don is currently the #1793 boy name in the United States — 89 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1444, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 20,225 boys born in 2025 was named Don.
The 145-year story
Don first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 34 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1946, when 4,110 boys were named Don — good for #79 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Don per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Don against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Don in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Don is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Don will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Don is most common
State-level data for Don is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Nicknames & related forms of Don
Don belongs to the Donald family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Donald family went to about 573 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #522, versus #1793 for Don alone.
Names like Don
Statistically, parents drawn to Don tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Gordon, Dan, Eldon, Alton, and Glen.
GordonDanEldonAltonGlenDonnieJonMyron
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Don | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 89 | #1793 |
| 2024 | 92 | #1776 |
| 2023 | 94 | #1744 |
| 2022 | 115 | #1551 |
| 2021 | 102 | #1635 |
| 2020 | 90 | #1716 |
| 2019 | 88 | #1762 |
| 2018 | 115 | #1498 |
| 2017 | 90 | #1725 |
| 2016 | 105 | #1563 |
| 2015 | 117 | #1444 |
| 2014 | 112 | #1456 |
| 2013 | 125 | #1352 |
| 2012 | 96 | #1617 |
| 2011 | 113 | #1448 |
| 2010 | 111 | #1470 |
| 2009 | 136 | #1290 |
| 2008 | 133 | #1303 |
| 2007 | 127 | #1332 |
| 2006 | 170 | #1054 |
| 2005 | 138 | #1155 |
| 2004 | 140 | #1128 |
| 2003 | 155 | #1016 |
| 2002 | 155 | #1003 |
| 2001 | 183 | #873 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Don?
In official American birth records, the name Don first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 34 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Don a popular boy name?
Don ranked #1793 among boys in 2025 with 89 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1444.
When was the name Don most popular?
Don peaked in 1946, when 4,110 American boys received the name (ranked #79 that year). Since 1946 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Don?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 20,225 newborn American boys was named Don. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.