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Donley

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Donley

Pronounced DON-lee /ˈdɑːn.li/Medium

Meaning: Donley traces to Irish surnames such as Donlea or Dunleavy, generally read as combining donn, meaning brown, with a word for meadow or field, a pattern typical of Irish place-and-surname names later used as first names.Low

In 30 seconds: Donley draws on the Irish surname Donlea, roughly brown meadow, turned into a plain, two-syllable given name (said DON-lee).

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Origin LowIrish

MeaningDonley traces to Irish surnames such as Donlea or Dunleavy, generally read as combining donn, meaning brown, with a word for meadow or field, a pattern typical of Irish place-and-surname names later used as first names.

U.S. rank (1994)#9207 ↘ Falling

1994 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1934

Total births (all-time)≈ 564

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Donley is recorded from 1909 onward, reaching its modest peak around 1934 as surname-derived boys' names remained a steady American choice.

It stayed rare throughout, only a couple dozen boys a year even at its best, and it had faded out by the mid-1990s.

Did you know? Donley follows a well-worn American path of turning Irish family surnames into first names, the same route taken by Kelly, Casey, and Riley.

Overall data confidence 40%

References - Donley — From Irish surname Donlea/Dunleavy; donn (brown) + meadow

Variations

DonleaDunleavyDonly

Nicknames

Don

Famous Bearers

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If you like Donley…

Donovan— shares the same Irish surname-name pattern

Conley— matches the crisp two-syllable Irish sound

Wesley— another common surname-turned-first-name

Dempsey— shares Donley's Irish roots

Daley— another surname-name pick

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Donley mean?

It traces to Irish surnames like Donlea or Dunleavy, generally read as brown meadow, from donn meaning brown.

How do you pronounce Donley?

It's said DON-lee /ˈdɑːn.li/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Donley a boy or girl name?

Donley is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Donley?

It was always rare, given to only a couple dozen boys a year at its high point in the mid-nineteen-thirties.