UK girl's name
Donella
A feminine name derived from the Italian feminine equivalent of Donald.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2004. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Donella is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Donella popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2004 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4598, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2004, with 3 births.
This profile covers 3 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 2004 to 2004. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Donella is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 6 living people in the UK are called Donella. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2005 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Donella ranked #4598 for girls in England and Wales in 2004, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2004, when 3 girls were registered as Donella.
- • Donella ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #510 in 1977.
- • About 6 living people in the UK are estimated to have Donella as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4598
2004
Births in 2004
3
Latest year
Peak year
2004
3 births
Estimated living
6
2026
Meaning
What does Donella mean?
The name Donella is a feminine given name derived from the Italian language. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval period, specifically the Renaissance era in Italy. Donella is a diminutive form of the Italian name Donna, which means "lady" or "woman."
Historically, the name Donella was widely used among the Italian nobility and aristocracy during the 15th and 16th centuries. It was a popular choice for daughters born into prominent families, reflecting the high status and respect accorded to women of noble birth in that era.
While there are no definitive records of the name's appearance in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its Italian roots suggest that it may have been influenced by the cultural and linguistic traditions of the Roman Empire and the subsequent development of the Italian language.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Donella can be found in various historical documents and records from Renaissance Italy. One notable figure bearing this name was Donella Battista Orsini, a noblewoman born in 1495 in Rome, who was known for her patronage of the arts and her influential role in the political and cultural life of the city.
Another prominent figure with the name Donella was Donella Lucrezia Crivelli, a 16th-century Italian writer and poet who was celebrated for her literary works and her advocacy for women's education during the Renaissance period.
In the realm of the arts, Donella Cecilia Bravi, an Italian ballet dancer and choreographer born in 1780, left a lasting legacy through her contributions to the development of classical ballet in Europe.
Moving into the modern era, Donella H. Meadows (1941-2001) was an American environmental scientist and writer known for her work on systems thinking and sustainable development. Her influential book, "Limits to Growth," published in 1972, sparked global discussions on resource depletion and the need for sustainable practices.
Finally, Donella Dana Nance (1899-1988) was an American actress and writer who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout her career, including notable roles in the 1940s and 1950s.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Decades
Donella by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Donella was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | #4598 | 3 | 1 |
Geography
Where Donella is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Donella. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Donella ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #510 in 1977.
Across the UK
Donella in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#510 in 1977
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Donella
- Daisy 49,435
- Danielle 13,507
- Darcie 11,010
- Darcy 10,516
- Darcey 9,708
- Delilah 9,098
- Demi 9,052
- Daniella 4,324
- Destiny 3,732
- Diana 3,258
- Dorothy 3,104
- Dolly 2,246
FAQ
Donella: questions and answers
How popular is the name Donella in the UK right now?
In 2004, Donella was ranked #4598 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Donella most popular?
The peak year on record was 2004, with 3 babies registered as Donella in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Donella?
A feminine name derived from the Italian feminine equivalent of Donald.
How many people are called Donella in the UK?
A total of 3 babies have been registered as Donella across the 1 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Donella most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Donella ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #510 in 1977. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.