Where does the name Don come from?

Don is a boy name of Scottish origin.

Is Don a boy or a girl name?

Don is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 1% of children given the name Don are girls and 99% are boys.

How popular is the name Don in 2023?

Don ranks #1750 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1946 with 4,130 babies.

How do you pronounce Don?

Don is pronounced DON (1 syllable).

What are common spellings of Don?

Don is also written as Donny, Donnie, Donald.

A name from Scottish · Boy

Don

A short form of Donald, from Scottish Gaelic Domhnall meaning 'world ruler' or 'world mighty'. Independent as a given name since the 19th century.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

167,451 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

94 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

DA short form of Donald, from Scottish Gaelic Domhnall meaning 'world ruler' or 'world mighty'. Independent as a given name since the 19th century.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Don".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Donny Most common Donnie Donald

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Don.

D
Don Draper (Mad Men)
D
Don King (boxing promoter)
D
Don DeLillo (novelist)

Quick answers

People often ask about Don.

What does the name Don mean?: Don means a short form of Donald, from Scottish Gaelic Domhnall meaning 'world ruler' or 'world mighty'. Independent as a given name since the 19th century.
Where does the name Don come from?: Don is a boy name of Scottish origin.
Is Don a boy or a girl name?: Don is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 1% of children given the name Don are girls and 99% are boys.
How popular is the name Don in 2023?: Don ranks #1750 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1946 with 4,130 babies.
How do you pronounce Don?: Don is pronounced DON (1 syllable).
What are common spellings of Don?: Don is also written as Donny, Donnie, Donald.

Similar names

If you love Don, also consider…

Scott

#599

Boy ·Scottish

From the surname referring to a Scot — a Gaelic-speaking inhabitant of Scotland

Douglas

#744

Boy ·Scottish

From Scottish Gaelic dubh ('dark') + glas ('stream' or 'water'); originally a place name on the River Douglas, then a powerful Scottish clan surname

Janet

#2027

Girl ·Scottish

Originally a Scottish diminutive of Jane (from Hebrew Yochanan, 'God is gracious')

Logan

#39

Boy ·Scottish

Little hollow; from a Scottish place name

Bruce

#542

Boy ·Scottish

From the Norman-French family name de Brus, brought to Britain after 1066 and ultimately from a place name in Normandy

Jamie

#601

Unisex ·Scottish

Scottish diminutive of James, used since the 16th century

Cameron

#58

Boy ·Scottish

Crooked nose; a clan name

Craig

#1531

Boy ·Scottish

From the Scottish Gaelic creag meaning 'rock' or 'crag' — originally a surname for someone who lived near a prominent rock

About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.