Donna
Girl name · #1963 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Donna? In official American birth records, Donna has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Donna ranks #1963 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 98 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1437, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 18,367 girls born in 2025 was named Donna.
The 145-year story
Donna first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 17 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1959, when 36,468 girls were named Donna — good for #5 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 Donna per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Donna against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Donna in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Donna is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Donna will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Donna is most common
State-level data for Donna 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).
Names like Donna
Statistically, parents drawn to Donna tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Dianna, Deanna, Debora, Mona, and Lorna.
DiannaDeannaDeboraMonaLornaDinaDebraDiane
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Donna | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 98 | #1962 |
| 2024 | 103 | #1925 |
| 2023 | 99 | #1984 |
| 2022 | 101 | #1953 |
| 2021 | 105 | #1885 |
| 2020 | 137 | #1545 |
| 2019 | 116 | #1763 |
| 2018 | 139 | #1554 |
| 2017 | 124 | #1716 |
| 2016 | 118 | #1757 |
| 2015 | 160 | #1437 |
| 2014 | 163 | #1403 |
| 2013 | 176 | #1328 |
| 2012 | 188 | #1273 |
| 2011 | 199 | #1204 |
| 2010 | 258 | #983 |
| 2009 | 262 | #1007 |
| 2008 | 278 | #962 |
| 2007 | 261 | #1016 |
| 2006 | 325 | #830 |
| 2005 | 305 | #834 |
| 2004 | 331 | #782 |
| 2003 | 323 | #769 |
| 2002 | 376 | #672 |
| 2001 | 355 | #699 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Donna?
In official American birth records, the name Donna first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 17 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Donna a popular girl name?
Donna ranked #1963 among girls in 2025 with 98 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1437.
When was the name Donna most popular?
Donna peaked in 1959, when 36,468 American girls received the name (ranked #5 that year). Since 1959 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Donna?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 18,367 newborn American girls was named Donna. 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.