Don

Meaning: Brown, chief or noble
Origin: Irish

Meaning: Prince or chief of the world
Origin: English — Short form of Donald

Nicknames: Donnie, Donny

Boy's name · #1795 in the US (2025) · Vintage

Popularity over time

Don belongs to an older America first — it reached #50 back in 1934 — yet it still appears in today's records at #1795. About 168,000 boys have carried it since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where Don is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 5 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Don ranks in other countries and regions.

#313 in Netherlands (2025) · #1,343 in Switzerland (2025) · #2,490 in England & Wales (2025) · #1,854 in Canada (2024).

Famous Dons

Don Rickles — American stand-up comedian (1926–2017)
Don Cheadle — American actor (born 1964)
Don Knotts — American actor and stand-up comedian (1924–2006)
Don DeLillo — American novelist, playwright and essayist (born 1936)
Don Bradman — Australian cricketer (1908–2001)

In stories & tradition

Don Draper — Mad Men (TV series)
Don Self^it — Prison Break (TV series)
Don Eppes — Numbers (TV series)

What Dons become

Among 4,087 notable people named Don:

Sports figures appear 2.17× more often than among typical names — e.g. Don Budge, American tennis player (1915–2000).

Spellings & nicknames

About 90 boys a year are given Donnie as their full name.

Similar names: Glen · Donnie · Duane · Lloyd · Vaughn · Keon

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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