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Donnelle
How to Pronounce Donnelle
Pronounced dah-NEL /dəˈnɛl/Medium
Meaning: Donnelle joins Donnell or Donald with the popular -elle ending; Donald comes from the Scottish Gaelic Domhnall, from older Celtic elements meaning 'world' and 'ruler', so 'world ruler' or 'ruler of the world'.Low
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
Donnelle feminizes Donnell or Donald with the -elle ending popular in mid-to-late-twentieth-century American girls' names. Donald traces to the Scottish Gaelic Domhnall, from Celtic roots meaning 'world' and 'ruler'.
Donnelle was never common, given to only about twenty girls a year at its peak around 1983, and it faded within a decade. A girl named Donnelle then would be in her early forties today.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Donnelle mean?
It feminizes Donald or Donnell, from the Gaelic for 'world ruler'.
How do you pronounce Donnelle?
It's said dah-NEL /dəˈnɛl/, two syllables with the stress on the second.
Is Donnelle a boy or girl name?
Donnelle is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Donnelle?
It has always been rare in the United States, given to only a small number of girls a year even at its peak in the early 1980s.