Donna

femaleStatistical record

What official birth registration shows about Donna: which national registrars published it, in which years, and how its recorded position changed.

No researched meaning or origin yet — what that means.

Pronunciation

Community-contributed pronunciation recording

Licence: CC0. Source

VerifiedSource: Wikidata.Confidence: medium.

Donna: Recorded every year since 1953, it reached #5 in 1964, and it stood at #736 in 2024.

5registrars recorded it
148times a registrar ranked it
72years from first to last
#5highest recorded position
34groupings it qualifies for
30names it appears alongside

What stands out in Donna's record

Ranked inside the top 10 by 2 registrars. Names by top-10 reach
Ranked every year since 1953, without a single year missing. Names by continuity of record
Held a top-100 place for 43 years running. Names by top-100 run
Appears alongside 30 other names across 6 kinds of recorded relationship. All recorded relationships

Region

Falling

among girls in England and Wales · 1996–2024

View as table

England and Wales · Girls rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#441
1997	#551
1998	#607
1999	#721
2000	#804
2001	#1063
2002	#1245
2003	#1224
2004	#1252
2005	#1165
2006	#1435
2007	#1854
2008	#1914
2009	#3031
2010	#2392
2011	#2432
2012	#4171
2013	#2649
2014	#3514
2015	#4736
2016	#2966
2017	#4063
2018	#3518
2019	#5591
2020	#3447
2021	#4634
2022	#5669
2023	#5687
2024	#5891

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Girls

Recorded in official data among girls in Republic of Ireland in 54 of the 61 years from 1964 to 2024.

In 2024: #736 among girls in Republic of Ireland, #5891 among girls in England and Wales.

Official data from 5 national registrars across 5 regions, 1953–2024 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1953
First recorded at #91 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1953–1982
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1964 (recorded 1953–1982).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls

Donna appears in 5 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Republic of Ireland · Girls, with 54 ranked years and 3,502 births registered; the earliest is New South Wales, Australia · Girls, from 1953.

Donna across 5 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Donna's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Republic of Ireland · Girls	#171 (1964)	#33 (1982)	#736 (2024)	54 of 61	3,502 (1964–2024)	272 (1982)
New Zealand · Girls	#71 (1954)	#6 (1965)	#90 (1984)	31 of 31	7,054 (1954–1984)	440 (1961)
New South Wales, Australia · Girls	#91 (1953)	#5 (1964)	#79 (1982)	30 of 30	10,778 (1953–1982)	744 (1964)
England and Wales · Girls	#441 (1996)	#441 (1996)	#5891 (2024)	29 of 29	445 (1996–2024)	69 (1996)
Northern Ireland · Girls	#271 (1997)	#259 (1999)	#372 (2004)	4 of 8	16 (1997–2004)	5 (1997)

Donna by decade in Republic of Ireland · Girls

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Donna in Republic of Ireland · Girls, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1960s	182	6 of 10	30
1970s	641	10 of 10	64
1980sbusiest	1,878	10 of 10	188
1990s	659	10 of 10	66
2000s	107	10 of 10	11
2010s	24	5 of 10	5
2020s	11	3 of 10	4

Across Republic of Ireland · Girls, the 1980s were its busiest decade, averaging 188 births a year.

Its sharpest single-year move came between 1979 and 1980, when recorded births rose by 64, from 120 to 184.

See the names Republic of Irelandhas recorded the most births with →

Donna appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

Popularity data

Official popularity data is available for 5 regions, from 1953 to 2024. Highest recorded position: #5 in New South Wales, Australia in 1967.

Donna's recorded popularity observations by year, region and administrative category, including rank, registered births, source confidence and when each region's data was last reviewed.
Year	Region	Category	Rank	Births registered	Confidence	Status
2024	England and Wales	female	#5891	3	High	Verified
2023	England and Wales	female	#5687	3	High	Verified
2022	England and Wales	female	#5669	3	High	Verified
2021	England and Wales	female	#4634	4	High	Verified
2020	England and Wales	female	#3447	6	High	Verified
2019	England and Wales	female	#5591	3	High	Verified
2018	England and Wales	female	#3518	6	High	Verified
2017	England and Wales	female	#4063	5	High	Verified
2016	England and Wales	female	#2966	8	High	Verified
2015	England and Wales	female	#4736	4	High	Verified
2014	England and Wales	female	#3514	6	High	Verified
2013	England and Wales	female	#2649	9	High	Verified
2012	England and Wales	female	#4171	5	High	Verified
2011	England and Wales	female	#2432	10	High	Verified
2010	England and Wales	female	#2392	10	High	Verified
2009	England and Wales	female	#3031	7	High	Verified
2008	England and Wales	female	#1914	13	High	Verified
2007	England and Wales	female	#1854	13	High	Verified
2006	England and Wales	female	#1435	17	High	Verified
2005	England and Wales	female	#1165	21	High	Verified
2004	England and Wales	female	#1252	18	High	Verified
2003	England and Wales	female	#1224	18	High	Verified
2002	England and Wales	female	#1245	16	High	Verified
2001	England and Wales	female	#1063	19	High	Verified
2000	England and Wales	female	#804	28	High	Verified
1999	England and Wales	female	#721	32	High	Verified
1998	England and Wales	female	#607	42	High	Verified
1997	England and Wales	female	#551	47	High	Verified
1996	England and Wales	female	#441	69	High	Verified
1982	New South Wales, Australia	female	#79	103	Insufficient	Not yet available
1981	New South Wales, Australia	female	#80	97	Insufficient	Not yet available
1980	New South Wales, Australia	female	#64	127	Insufficient	Not yet available
1979	New South Wales, Australia	female	#57	132	Insufficient	Not yet available
1978	New South Wales, Australia	female	#48	158	Insufficient	Not yet available
1977	New South Wales, Australia	female	#53	150	Insufficient	Not yet available
1976	New South Wales, Australia	female	#45	180	Insufficient	Not yet available
1975	New South Wales, Australia	female	#37	224	Insufficient	Not yet available
1974	New South Wales, Australia	female	#33	265	Insufficient	Not yet available
1973	New South Wales, Australia	female	#25	325	Insufficient	Not yet available
1972	New South Wales, Australia	female	#21	385	Insufficient	Not yet available
1971	New South Wales, Australia	female	#14	483	Insufficient	Not yet available
1970	New South Wales, Australia	female	#16	438	Insufficient	Not yet available
1969	New South Wales, Australia	female	#13	487	Insufficient	Not yet available
1968	New South Wales, Australia	female	#7	611	Insufficient	Not yet available
1967	New South Wales, Australia	female	#5	655	Insufficient	Not yet available
1966	New South Wales, Australia	female	#5	693	Insufficient	Not yet available
1965	New South Wales, Australia	female	#5	710	Insufficient	Not yet available
1964	New South Wales, Australia	female	#5	744	Insufficient	Not yet available
1963	New South Wales, Australia	female	#6	711	Insufficient	Not yet available
1962	New South Wales, Australia	female	#7	677	Insufficient	Not yet available
1961	New South Wales, Australia	female	#6	672	Insufficient	Not yet available
1960	New South Wales, Australia	female	#12	528	Insufficient	Not yet available
1959	New South Wales, Australia	female	#20	455	Insufficient	Not yet available
1958	New South Wales, Australia	female	#48	200	Insufficient	Not yet available
1957	New South Wales, Australia	female	#56	163	Insufficient	Not yet available
1956	New South Wales, Australia	female	#66	130	Insufficient	Not yet available
1955	New South Wales, Australia	female	#73	116	Insufficient	Not yet available
1954	New South Wales, Australia	female	#89	83	Insufficient	Not yet available
1953	New South Wales, Australia	female	#91	76	Insufficient	Not yet available
1984	New Zealand	female	#90	57	High	Verified
1983	New Zealand	female	#76	68	High	Verified
1982	New Zealand	female	#78	65	High	Verified
1981	New Zealand	female	#66	78	High	Verified
1980	New Zealand	female	#60	81	High	Verified
1979	New Zealand	female	#63	81	High	Verified
1978	New Zealand	female	#47	104	High	Verified
1977	New Zealand	female	#39	118	High	Verified
1976	New Zealand	female	#31	153	High	Verified
1975	New Zealand	female	#32	175	High	Verified
1974	New Zealand	female	#28	197	High	Verified
1973	New Zealand	female	#26	211	High	Verified
1972	New Zealand	female	#22	221	High	Verified
1971	New Zealand	female	#21	265	High	Verified
1970	New Zealand	female	#16	287	High	Verified
1969	New Zealand	female	#12	335	High	Verified
1968	New Zealand	female	#12	358	High	Verified
1967	New Zealand	female	#13	364	High	Verified
1966	New Zealand	female	#11	371	High	Verified
1965	New Zealand	female	#6	436	High	Verified
1964	New Zealand	female	#8	396	High	Verified
1963	New Zealand	female	#9	402	High	Verified
1962	New Zealand	female	#9	411	High	Verified
1961	New Zealand	female	#8	440	High	Verified
1960	New Zealand	female	#7	408	High	Verified
1959	New Zealand	female	#15	351	High	Verified
1958	New Zealand	female	#38	175	High	Verified
1957	New Zealand	female	#43	155	High	Verified
1956	New Zealand	female	#64	97	High	Verified
1955	New Zealand	female	#60	109	High	Verified
1954	New Zealand	female	#71	85	High	Verified
2004	Northern Ireland	female	#372	3	High	Verified
1999	Northern Ireland	female	#259	5	High	Verified
1998	Northern Ireland	female	#351	3	High	Verified
1997	Northern Ireland	female	#271	5	High	Verified
2024	Republic of Ireland	female	#736	4	High	Verified
2021	Republic of Ireland	female	#764	4	High	Verified
2020	Republic of Ireland	female	#834	3	High	Verified
2017	Republic of Ireland	female	#873	3	High	Verified
2014	Republic of Ireland	female	#876	3	High	Verified
2013	Republic of Ireland	female	#894	3	High	Verified
2012	Republic of Ireland	female	#510	8	High	Verified
2010	Republic of Ireland	female	#555	7	High	Verified
2009	Republic of Ireland	female	#582	6	High	Verified
2008	Republic of Ireland	female	#750	4	High	Verified
2007	Republic of Ireland	female	#468	8	High	Verified
2006	Republic of Ireland	female	#431	8	High	Verified
2005	Republic of Ireland	female	#277	13	High	Verified
2004	Republic of Ireland	female	#272	13	High	Verified
2003	Republic of Ireland	female	#263	13	High	Verified
2002	Republic of Ireland	female	#331	9	High	Verified
2001	Republic of Ireland	female	#217	16	High	Verified
2000	Republic of Ireland	female	#202	17	High	Verified
1999	Republic of Ireland	female	#165	22	High	Verified
1998	Republic of Ireland	female	#148	24	High	Verified
1997	Republic of Ireland	female	#132	38	High	Verified
1996	Republic of Ireland	female	#113	47	High	Verified
1995	Republic of Ireland	female	#83	65	High	Verified
1994	Republic of Ireland	female	#74	76	High	Verified
1993	Republic of Ireland	female	#83	71	High	Verified
1992	Republic of Ireland	female	#57	110	High	Verified
1991	Republic of Ireland	female	#69	99	High	Verified
1990	Republic of Ireland	female	#63	107	High	Verified
1989	Republic of Ireland	female	#49	137	High	Verified
1988	Republic of Ireland	female	#52	136	High	Verified
1987	Republic of Ireland	female	#49	148	High	Verified
1986	Republic of Ireland	female	#47	169	High	Verified
1985	Republic of Ireland	female	#38	196	High	Verified
1984	Republic of Ireland	female	#44	181	High	Verified
1983	Republic of Ireland	female	#36	231	High	Verified
1982	Republic of Ireland	female	#33	272	High	Verified
1981	Republic of Ireland	female	#43	224	High	Verified
1980	Republic of Ireland	female	#51	184	High	Verified
1979	Republic of Ireland	female	#76	120	High	Verified
1978	Republic of Ireland	female	#77	114	High	Verified
1977	Republic of Ireland	female	#116	68	High	Verified
1976	Republic of Ireland	female	#116	69	High	Verified
1975	Republic of Ireland	female	#132	55	High	Verified
1974	Republic of Ireland	female	#141	52	High	Verified
1973	Republic of Ireland	female	#142	51	High	Verified
1972	Republic of Ireland	female	#155	41	High	Verified
1971	Republic of Ireland	female	#169	33	High	Verified
1970	Republic of Ireland	female	#150	38	High	Verified
1969	Republic of Ireland	female	#145	42	High	Verified
1968	Republic of Ireland	female	#153	34	High	Verified
1967	Republic of Ireland	female	#150	33	High	Verified
1966	Republic of Ireland	female	#164	25	High	Verified
1965	Republic of Ireland	female	#152	28	High	Verified
1964	Republic of Ireland	female	#171	20	High	Verified

England and Wales hub — collected by Office for National Statistics
New South Wales, Australia hub — collected by NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages
New Zealand hub — collected by NZ Department of Internal Affairs
Northern Ireland hub — collected by NISRA
Republic of Ireland hub — collected by CSO Ireland

See methodology and data sources for how popularity data is collected and what "confidence" means.

Where Donna is officially recorded

5 official registrars have recorded Donna, between 1953 and 2024. Each registrar publishes for its own population on its own methodology, so the positions below are each one country's own ranking and are not comparable with one another.

Registrar	Recorded	Years	Its own highest position
New South Wales, Australia	1953–1982	30	#5 in 1964
New Zealand	1954–1984	31	#6 in 1965
Republic of Ireland	1964–2024	54	#33 in 1982
England and Wales	1996–2024	29	#441 in 1996
Northern Ireland	1997–2004	4	#259 in 1999

Its high point came 35 years earlier in New South Wales, Australia (1964) than in Northern Ireland (1999).

What the record shows

Recorded by 5 registrars between 1953 and 2024, ranked in 72 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #5, first reached in 1964.

It held a top-100 place in 43 years, 43 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 744 births, registered in New South Wales, Australia in 1964.

2 registrars ranked it inside their own top 10.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1954, and 44 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Donall · #215, 23y
Donatas · #199, 26y
Donnacha · #46, 61y
Donncha · #159, 55y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 5 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Frida · #5, 69y
Elaine · #6, 69y
Joanne · #4, 74y
Leanne · #6, 69y

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1950 and 1959.

Kim · #5, 75y
Stephanie · #5, 72y
Belinda · #6, 66y
Ben · #6, 72y

Comparisons involving Donna

Existing comparison pages where Donna and another name were ranked in the same published list, in the same years, on the same scale. Each has its own evidence; none of them says the names are alike.

Longest shared records

Names ranked alongside Donna in the same published list across at least 25 years.

Donna vs Denise
Donna and Denise changed places 16 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2020, ending at #834 and #834.
Donna · Denise · 52 shared years, 1964–2020 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
See the 2020 Republic of Ireland ranking
Donna vs Lorraine
Donna and Lorraine changed places 14 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2013, ending at #894 and #894.
Donna · Lorraine · 48 shared years, 1964–2013 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
See the 2013 Republic of Ireland ranking
Donna vs Stacey
Donna and Stacey changed places 12 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1977 and 2024, ending at #736 and #898.
Donna · Stacey · 37 shared years, 1977–2024 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
See the 2024 Republic of Ireland ranking

Closest long-running positions

Names that stayed close to Donna within one registrar's list over many years. A gap measured inside that list, never across registrars.

Donna vs Tracey
Across 25 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Donna and Tracey averaged 9.2 places apart, ending at #79 and #82.
Donna · Tracey · 25 shared years, 1958–1982 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1982 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Julie vs Donna
Across 31 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Julie and Donna averaged 11.5 places apart, ending at #87 and #90.
Julie · Donna · 31 shared years, 1954–1984 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1984 New Zealand ranking
Sharon vs Donna
Across 28 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Sharon and Donna averaged 11.5 places apart, ending at #78 and #66.
Sharon · Donna · 28 shared years, 1954–1981 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1981 New Zealand ranking

Order changes

Pairs where Donna and another name exchanged position in a published list, taken as the final meaningful change.

Lisa vs Donna
In 1966, Lisa moved ahead of Donna in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #9 and #5 the year before became #4 and #5.
Lisa · Donna · 24 shared years, 1959–1982 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1966 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Michelle vs Donna
In 1965, Michelle moved ahead of Donna in New Zealand · Girls — #9 and #8 the year before became #4 and #6.
Michelle · Donna · 28 shared years, 1957–1984 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1965 New Zealand ranking
Rachel vs Donna
In 1970, Rachel moved ahead of Donna in New Zealand · Girls — #22 and #12 the year before became #4 and #16.
Rachel · Donna · 20 shared years, 1965–1984 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1970 New Zealand ranking

Compared inside New South Wales, Australia lists

Pairs involving Donna measured in New South Wales, Australia's own published lists — the registrar that recorded Donna at its highest position.

Karen vs Donna
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Karen #1 in 1963, Donna #5 in 1964.
Karen · Donna · 30 shared years, 1953–1982 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1964 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Nicole vs Donna
In 1969, Nicole moved ahead of Donna in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #13 and #7 the year before became #5 and #13.
Nicole · Donna · 19 shared years, 1964–1982 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1969 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Deborah vs Donna
In 1963, Donna moved ahead of Deborah in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #6 and #7 the year before became #10 and #6.
Deborah · Donna · 28 shared years, 1953–1980 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1963 New South Wales, Australia ranking

New South Wales, Australia overview→

Donna was ranked #5 in New South Wales, Australia · Girls in 1964. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Donna and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,577 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Donna without appearing here.

Donna moved ahead of

Tyler
In 2020 they stood at #5591 and #4001 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2021 that had become #4634 and #5581.
Audrey
In 2023 they stood at #764 and #661 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2024 that had become #736 and #898.
Jacqueline Compare
In 2008 they stood at #750 and #501 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2009 that had become #582 and #742.
Geraldine
In 2020 they stood at #894 and #894 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2021 that had become #764 and #883.

Moved ahead of Donna

Denise Compare
In 2021 they stood at #4634 and #5581 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2022 that had become #5669 and #3148.
Blake
In 2011 they stood at #2432 and #2893 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2012 that had become #4171 and #1893.
Bernadette
In 2011 they stood at #2432 and #3185 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2012 that had become #4171 and #1991.
Levi
In 2021 they stood at #4634 and #5581 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2022 that had become #5669 and #3533.

Moved the opposite way to Donna

Annie
Between 1964 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Donna went from #171 to #736 while Annie went from #112 to #41.
Charlotte
Between 1964 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Donna went from #171 to #736 while Charlotte went from #171 to #64.
Clodagh
Between 1964 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Donna went from #171 to #736 while Clodagh went from #149 to #42.
Emily
Between 1964 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Donna went from #171 to #736 while Emily went from #180 to #4.

Moved the same way as Donna

Audrey
Between 1964 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Donna went from #171 to #736 and Audrey from #85 to #898.
Eileen
Between 1964 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Donna went from #171 to #736 and Eileen from #17 to #372.
Julia
Between 1964 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Donna went from #171 to #736 and Julia from #42 to #75.
Margaret
Between 1964 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Donna went from #171 to #736 and Margaret from #3 to #181.

What's not yet available

Meaning
Origin
Nicknames and spelling variants

Absence from this list does not mean the name isn't genuinely meaningful or widely used — only that Namewise hasn't sourced and reviewed that content yet. Absence from a specific year or geography above does not prove zero use there either; official statistics only publish names above a minimum threshold.

Official popularity data is available for 5 regions, from 1953 to 2024. Highest recorded position: #5 in New South Wales, Australia in 1967. Source data last verified 2026-07-21.

Donna

Pronunciation

Donna at a glance

What stands out in Donna's record

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Donna across 5 official records

Donna by decade in Republic of Ireland · Girls

Donna appears in

Popularity data

Where Donna is officially recorded

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Comparisons involving Donna

Longest shared records

Closest long-running positions

Order changes

Compared inside New South Wales, Australia lists

Names published alongside Donna

Donna and the names beside it

Donna moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Donna

Moved the opposite way to Donna

Moved the same way as Donna

Donna at a glance

What stands out in Donna's record

Donna across 5 official records

Donna by decade in Republic of Ireland · Girls

Donna appears in

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Comparisons involving Donna

Longest shared records

Closest long-running positions

Order changes

Compared inside New South Wales, Australia lists

Names published alongside Donna

Donna and the names beside it

Donna moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Donna

Moved the opposite way to Donna

Moved the same way as Donna