NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Donny

A diminutive form of the masculine name Donald of Scottish Gaelic origin.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Donny is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Donny popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1322, with 20 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 26 births.

This profile covers 234 England and Wales registrations across 24 recorded years from 1998 to 2024. 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.

The latest count is about 77% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 241 living people in the UK are called Donny. 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 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Donny ranked #1322 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 20 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2023, when 26 boys were registered as Donny.
  • Donny ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #733 in 2017.
  • About 241 living people in the UK are estimated to have Donny as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1322

2024

Births in 2024

20

Latest year

Peak year

2023

26 births

Estimated living

241

2026

Meaning

What does Donny mean?

The name Donny originates from the Greek name Donatos, which means "given by God." It is a diminutive or shortened form of the name Donald, derived from the Gaelic name Domhnall, meaning "world ruler" or "world mighty." The name Donny became popular during the Middle Ages in various regions of Europe, particularly in Scotland and Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Donny can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it is mentioned in the year 1184. The name Donny was also present in various Scottish and Irish literary works from the 13th and 14th centuries.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Donny. One of the most famous was Donny O'Brien (1185-1242), an Irish king who ruled the Kingdom of Thomond in the early 13th century. Another prominent figure was Donny Galloway (1292-1349), a Scottish knight and military commander who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

In more recent times, Donny Hathaway (1945-1979) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who left an indelible mark on the soul and jazz genres. Donny Osmond (born 1957) is an American singer, actor, and former teen idol who found success as a member of the Osmonds, a famous musical group.

Donny Van de Beek (born 1997) is a Dutch professional footballer who currently plays for Manchester United in the English Premier League. He has represented the Netherlands national team and is known for his versatility and technical ability on the field.

While the name Donny has its roots in ancient Greek and Gaelic languages, it has transcended cultural boundaries and gained popularity across various regions, with notable individuals bearing this name throughout history, leaving their mark in various fields such as music, sports, and literature.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Donny over time

The chart below shows babies named Donny registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Donny, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 20 births in 2024, compared with 26 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Donny
07132026199820112024

Decades

Donny by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Donny 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
2020s #1332 99 5
2010s #2555 77 10
2000s #2354 55 8
1990s #2901 3 1

Geography

Where Donny is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Donny. 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.

Donny ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #733 in 2017.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Donny in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#733 in 2017

3 years of NRS records, 9 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Donny

  • Donny Barnard

    association football player

    footballer

    1984-

  • Donny Tourette

    songwriter

    British musician

    1981-

  • Donny MacLeod

    television presenter

    British television presenter (1932-1984)

    1932-1984

  • Donny Innes

    rugby union player

    rugby player

    1917-2012

  • Donny Davies

    association football player; journalist; cricketer

    Footballer, journalist (1892-1958)

    1892-1958

Related

Names similar to Donny

FAQ

Donny: questions and answers

How popular is the name Donny in the UK right now?

In 2024, Donny was ranked #1322 for boys in England and Wales, with 20 births registered.

When was Donny most popular?

The peak year on record was 2023, with 26 babies registered as Donny in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Donny?

A diminutive form of the masculine name Donald of Scottish Gaelic origin.

How many people are called Donny in the UK?

A total of 234 babies have been registered as Donny across the 24 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 9 more in Scotland.

Where is Donny most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Donny ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #733 in 2017. 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.