Donella
Girl name · American · Celtic · Irish
- US rank
- #14,942
- Syllables
- 3
- Peak
- #1,333 in 1950
5 babies were named Donella in the US in 2025.
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1910–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Donella you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Donella
Donella Meadows
American environmental scientist, teacher, and writer (1941–2001)
Choose Donella and your child shares a first name with Donella Meadows, an American environmental scientist, teacher, and writer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Donella, like who?” Donella Meadows's Wikipedia article is available in 27 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Donella Meadows on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)- How commonAbout 1 in every 322,581 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Donella, 5 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Donella would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryDonella first shows up in US birth records in 1910, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 115 years since.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1950, when it ranked #1,333. Today it's #14,942, so it could be due a comeback.
About the name Donella
Donella is a girl name of American, Celtic and Irish origin. It has 7 letters and 3 syllables, starting with D and ending in “-lla”. US birth records list Donella for girls from 1910 to 2025, in 87 of those 116 years. Its best year was 1950, when it ranked #1,333 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #14,942, with 5 babies.
Origin:American namesCeltic namesIrish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 6.0 | 167,785 girls |
| 1920s | 13 | 74,405 girls |
| 1930s | 14 | 73,153 girls |
| 1940s | 17 | 60,423 girls |
| 1950s | 16 | 60,680 girls |
| 1960s | 17 | 58,720 girls |
| 1970s | 21 | 46,642 girls |
| 1980s | 11 | 93,371 girls |
| 1990s | 3.8 | 265,252 girls |
| 2000s | 0.3 | 3,125,000 girls |
| 2010s | 0.3 | 2,857,143 girls |
| 2020s | 0.5 | 1,935,484 girls |
Other spellings of Donella
More American girl names
- Girl name: Lainey · possibly light
- Girl name: Daisy · day's eye
- Girl name: Josie · he will add
- Unisex name: Kinsley · king's meadow
- Girl name: Sienna · from Siena
- Unisex name: Brooklyn · from Brooklyn, New York
- Girl name: Summer · summer
- Unisex name: Stevie · crown
Questions about the name Donella
What is the origin of the name Donella?
Donella has American, Celtic, Irish roots in our records. Other American names include Lainey, Daisy, Josie.
Is Donella a boy or girl name?
Donella is a girl name.
How popular is the name Donella?
Donella ranked #14,942 for US girls in 2025, given to 5 babies. Its best year was 1950 (#1,333).