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At a Glance
- Meaning
- Lady
- Origin
- Italian
- Gender
- Used for both boys and girls
- Pronunciation
- DON-uh
Donna comes from Italian and means "lady." You may have seen it described as meaning "ruler of the world," but that's a mix-up with the name Donald — it's not where Donna actually comes from or what it actually means.
Meaning & Origin of Donna
Meaning: Lady.
Origin: Italian.
A common claim: lady; ruler of the world Actually: Donna does mean 'lady' in Italian, but the added 'ruler of the world' gloss comes from mixing it up with Donald — that's only a secondary folk interpretation, not the name's real origin.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Donna
DON-uhIPA /ˈdɒnə/
Popularity of Donna
Donna hit its peak in 1959, when it ranked #5 with 36,469 babies given the name. By 2024 it had fallen to #1941, with just 102 babies named Donna that year.
Names Like Donna
These names have followed a similar path to Donna in U.S. popularity over the years.
FAQ
What does the name Donna mean?
Lady. (Source: Wiktionary)
How do you pronounce Donna?
Donna is pronounced DON-uh (IPA: /ˈdɒnə/).
Is Donna a popular name right now?
Donna peaked at #5 in 1959 and is ranked #1941 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
Make Donna Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Donna, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
📊 How popular is Donna? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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