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Donna as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Donna

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The baby name Donna is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced IPA: /ˈdɒnə/ (British), /ˈdɑːnə/ (US); respelling: DAH-nə or DAW-nə.

Donna is Italian in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Italian
Pronunciation: IPA: /ˈdɒnə/ (British), /ˈdɑːnə/ (US); respelling: DAH-nə or DAW-nə

What is the meaning of the name Donna ?

The baby name Donna is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced IPA: /ˈdɒnə/ (British), /ˈdɑːnə/ (US); respelling: DAH-nə or DAW-nə.

Donna is Italian in Origin.

Donna is the Italian word for “lady,” from Latin domina meaning “mistress of the household” or “noblewoman.” In Romance languages, Spanish Doña and Portuguese Dona function as parallel honorifics; as a given name, however, Donna became established primarily in the English-speaking world, carrying the sense of refinement and rank implied by its roots.

The name entered steady use in the early 20th century and soared in mid-century America, reaching the U.S. top ten in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Cultural associations - actress Donna Reed, Ritchie Valens’s 1958 hit “Donna,” and later singer Donna Summer - bolstered its profile. Now less common for babies, it reads as a warm, retro classic. Variants and related forms include Dona, Donnah, and the affectionate Donnie/Donny; Donita appears in Spanish-influenced contexts. Thematic relatives include Madonna (“my lady”) and, less directly, Donatella. Core meanings center on “lady,” “noblewoman,” or “woman of rank.”

Donna has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Donna

Donna Summer Actor|musician · Born 1948 · United States Donna Summer was a famous American musician known as the 'Queen of Disco'. She gained fame in the 1970s with hits like 'Hot Stuff', 'Bad Girls', and 'Last Dance'. Her powerful voice and energetic performances made her a defining figure in the disco era. Donna Reed Actor · Born 1921 · United States Donna Reed was an American actress best known for her role as Mary Hatch Bailey in the classic film 'It's a Wonderful Life'. She also starred in 'From Here to Eternity', which earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Reed became a household name with her television series 'The Donna Reed Show'. Donna Douglas Actor · Born 1932 · United States Donna Douglas was an American actress best known for her role as Elly May Clampett on the popular TV show The Beverly Hillbillies. She charmed audiences with her portrayal of the sweet and naive country girl. The show became a massive hit during the 1960s, making her a household name.
Donna Mills Actor · Born 1940 · United States Donna Mills is an American actress best known for her role as Abby Cunningham on the popular TV series Knots Landing. She gained fame for her portrayal of the scheming character, which became a defining role in her career. Mills also appeared in films like Play Misty for Me and The Incident. Donna D'Errico Actor · Born 1968 · United States Donna D'Errico is an American actress best known for her role as Donna Marco on the television series Baywatch. She also appeared in films like Candyman: Day of the Dead and Austin Powers in Goldmember. Donna Pescow Actor · Born 1954 · United States Donna Pescow is an American actress best known for her role as Annette in the classic film Saturday Night Fever. She also starred in the TV series Angie and had a recurring role on the sitcom Even Stevens. Her performances have made her a familiar face in both film and television.

Donna – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2024 #1 — 911
FJ Girls 0 #9 1 583
HT 0 #12 1 399
KR Girls 0 #15 1 572
JM Girls 0 #19 561 7,507
NA 0 #32 2 2,537
MV Girls 0 #35 1 2,021
ID 0 #37 3 2,238
MT 0 #38 6 1,767
PH 0 #39 58 5,607
MO 0 #49 4 2,706
JM 0 #52 36 3,714
CM 0 #56 1 2,592
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
AL 0 #74 3 2,372
JP 0 #75 3 4,057
CN 0 #79 8 3,857
SI 0 #80 1 1,612
QA 0 #81 20 7,011
BG 0 #82 1 1,799
MT Girls 0 #83 72 3,773
ID Girls 0 #85 14 3,319
TW 0 #89 12 4,523
AF Girls 0 #93 2 2,402
BN Girls 0 #94 13 5,459
CY Girls 0 #107 15 3,755
PH Girls 0 #109 365 13,098
OM 0 #114 8 6,215
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
KW 0 #119 3 5,216
CR 0 #123 36 5,526
GR 0 #132 4 3,911
PA 0 #134 5 3,797
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
RS Girls 0 #137 1 1,651
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
EE Girls 0 #139 4 1,888
JO 0 #140 1 2,158
SI Girls 0 #147 28 2,769
AE 0 #150 28 10,220
BW Girls 0 #150 2 4,216
PR Girls 0 #162 6 3,171
Sweden Girls 2022 #170 10 1,568
MT Boys 0 #179 1 4,064
HR 0 #180 2 2,081
UY 0 #182 1 2,477
LU Girls 0 #189 2 4,850
AR 0 #192 2 2,915
RU 0 #192 3 3,641
NA Girls 0 #193 32 7,146
MO Girls 0 #201 51 7,056
DK 0 #204 3 5,198
BG Girls 0 #207 17 3,559
PS 0 #209 10 5,692
QA Girls 0 #210 108 15,378
PL 0 #212 1 2,600
AL Girls 0 #220 8 4,141
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
HU Girls 0 #225 1 3,308
SG 0 #225 45 11,010
GR Girls 0 #227 16 6,293
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
TW Girls 0 #233 44 8,139
JP Girls 0 #243 9 6,592
GH 0 #246 3 5,396
PT 0 #248 3 4,161
NA Boys 0 #250 4 6,830
CN Girls 0 #252 98 8,829
TW Boys 0 #255 2 7,111
IL 0 #256 19 6,291
EC Girls 0 #258 1 3,650
HK Girls 0 #259 506 16,104
NG 0 #266 7 5,926
HK 0 #268 82 8,483
SA 0 #270 26 10,560
HR Girls 0 #271 19 3,687
Canada Girls 2024 #278 8 2,795
JM Boys 0 #287 7 6,876
DK Girls 0 #295 22 7,429
KZ Boys 0 #296 1 6,578
MY 0 #301 30 12,352
AL Boys 0 #302 2 5,122
JP Boys 0 #303 1 7,909
AE Girls 0 #306 251 20,968
GH Girls 0 #308 17 6,973
OM Girls 0 #314 83 15,987
KZ Girls 0 #327 6 5,862
PE 0 #328 2 6,350
JO Girls 0 #331 9 7,570
KW Girls 0 #334 183 19,177
PL Girls 0 #340 15 5,096
CR Girls 0 #341 199 11,342
MU Girls 0 #341 11 8,539
CZ Girls 0 #343 9 5,378
NL 0 #345 47 2,481
SD Girls 0 #354 5 7,678
EG 0 #356 45 6,387
BR 0 #359 2 5,969
Finland Girls 0 #360 32 1,368
GH Boys 0 #361 1 8,138
SG Girls 0 #367 227 18,916
ZA 0 #367 81 14,421
PH Boys 0 #374 10 11,440
YE 0 #394 5 8,639
Austria Girls 0 #398 23 1,885
BD Girls 0 #399 8 8,413
France Girls 2021 #401 5 3,185
BO 0 #407 2 6,868
Germany 0 #425 13 2,542
NL Girls 0 #425 706 5,933
CL 0 #432 3 6,867
Spain 0 #434 19 2,326
PA Girls 0 #436 46 9,861
MX 0 #438 8 8,339
RU Girls 0 #454 45 11,913
PS Girls 0 #459 65 10,981
SD Boys 0 #465 2 10,523
PT Girls 0 #466 6 7,952
EG Girls 0 #469 667 14,742
AR Boys 0 #482 2 7,628
BH 0 #494 60 17,937
CM Girls 0 #501 40 11,671
CO 0 #503 8 7,768
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
LY 0 #520 16 12,703
IR Girls 0 #521 10 8,334
IQ Girls 0 #522 4 11,303
RU Boys 0 #524 3 12,621
IL Girls 0 #526 92 11,648
UY Girls 0 #528 9 6,731
IT 0 #530 188 4,183
GT Girls 0 #536 6 7,500
IT Girls 0 #538 1,618 9,415
HK Boys 0 #553 5 12,905
PS Boys 0 #561 1 10,655
IR Boys 0 #565 1 10,162
CM Boys 0 #569 7 12,054
AR Girls 0 #571 29 8,289
SA Girls 0 #600 348 25,931
BD Boys 0 #605 1 10,045
IN Girls 0 #619 13 13,121
LB 0 #621 38 13,263
IL Boys 0 #625 1 10,983
NG Girls 0 #637 151 15,093
BO Girls 0 #646 6 9,488
Finland Girls 2026 #665 74 3,895
ZA Girls 0 #670 572 25,928
Germany Girls 0 #693 147 4,949
IQ Boys 0 #697 1 13,071
CL Boys 0 #700 1 13,390
MY Girls 0 #712 290 24,821
SY 0 #712 17 11,684
SG Boys 0 #739 1 17,960
CL Girls 0 #772 80 14,098
BR Boys 0 #785 1 12,213
TN 0 #792 38 13,765
KW Boys 0 #799 8 18,755
PE Girls 0 #807 138 14,861
United States Girls 2024 #815 102 8,487
Spain Girls 0 #852 132 5,561
EG Boys 0 #875 12 15,035
OM Boys 0 #914 5 17,948
NG Boys 0 #923 29 16,906
PE Boys 0 #925 2 14,506
BR Girls 0 #932 10 12,708
CO Boys 0 #979 3 15,656
CO Girls 0 #1,006 73 16,140
MX Boys 0 #1,028 6 16,355
IN Boys 0 #1,036 4 16,750
MA 0 #1,085 44 20,986
MY Boys 0 #1,098 14 25,439
MX Girls 0 #1,115 69 17,781
ZA Boys 0 #1,115 64 25,619
DZ 0 #1,119 58 20,130
AE Boys 0 #1,136 8 22,615
TR 0 #1,168 44 19,440
IT Boys 0 #1,405 67 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,593 22 28,008

Donna is popular in 86 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Ireland
Scotland, United Kingdom
Canada
United States

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Donna

Donna is predominantly a girl's name.
Donna is a 2 syllable name, pronounced IPA: /ˈdɒnə/ (British), /ˈdɑːnə/ (US); respelling: DAH-nə or DAW-nə.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Dona, Donah, Donnie, Donny and Donella.
Across languages, Donna has these equivalents: Domina (Latin), Doña (Spanish, honorific), Domna (Greek/Latin).
Yes, very popular — Donna ranked #1 in Ireland in 2024, and appears in official birth registries across 8 countries.
Donna ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2024).
Donna's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2014 to #1 in 2024 in Ireland.
Yes — 6 notable people named Donna are in our database, including Donna Summer (Actor|musician), Donna Reed (Actor), Donna Douglas (Actor).