Don

Did you know?

A few things about Don you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Don

Don Ameche

American actor (1908–1993)

Choose Don and your child shares a first name with Don Ameche, an American actor. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Don, like who?” Don Ameche's Wikipedia article is available in 54 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Don Ameche on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: NBC Television, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 19,194 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Don, 89 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Don would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryDon has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Dons, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1934, when it ranked #50. Today it's #1,793, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🍂TrendDon has slipped 77 places over the last five years and now sits at #1,793. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedDon is most popular in Georgia, where it ranks #990. It's in the top 1,000 in 1 state.
• 💬MeaningDon is an English form of Donald, which means “world ruler”. Our records link it to Celtic, English and Gaelic roots.

About the name Don

Don is a boy name of Celtic, English and Gaelic origin meaning “world ruler”. It has 3 letters and 1 syllable, starting with D and ending in “-don”. US birth records list Don for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1934, when it ranked #50 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #1,793, with 89 babies.

Origin:Celtic namesEnglish namesGaelic namesScottish names