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Donelle
How to Pronounce Donelle
Pronounced duh-NELL /dษหnษl/Medium
Meaning: Donelle is a mid-twentieth-century American feminine name blending the Don- of Donald or Donna with the fashionable French ending -elle, 'little'; Donald descends from Gaelic Domhnall, 'world-ruler', and Donna from Italian for 'lady'.Low
Popularity in the U.S. ยท SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880โpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Donelle is a coined feminine name of the mid-twentieth century, joining the Don- of Donald or Donna to the French ending -elle, 'little', much as Danielle and Michelle were made. Donald comes from Gaelic Domhnall, 'world-ruler', and Donna from the Italian for 'lady'.
It never became common, peaking around 1970 at only a few dozen girls a year and fading afterward. It reads as a mid-century '-elle' coinage rather than a traditional name, and it has not been revived.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Donelle mean?
Donelle blends the Don- of Donald or Donna with the French ending '-elle', 'little'; the roots mean 'world-ruler' and 'lady'.
How do you pronounce Donelle?
It's said duh-NELL /dษหnษl/ โ two syllables, stress on the second.
Is Donelle a boy or girl name?
Donelle is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Donelle?
Donelle was always rare and is a genuine mid-twentieth-century coinage, seldom seen today.