Pronunciation
Doh-nul
Meaning
World-ruler
Related forms: Domhnall (related irish form).
Alternate spellings
Domhnall
Fun fact
Donal is an anglicised spelling of Domhnall. Domhnall is an old Irish name with a world-ruler meaning. Donal is the anglicised form you might recognise more easily. So the longer Irish spelling and the shorter form belong to the same name family.
Popularity in Ireland
Figures for the spelling Donal, Republic of Ireland.
The CSO only publishes names given to three or more babies in a year. “Less than 3” means zero, one or two babies, and these years appear as gaps on the graph.
Number of babies registered each year
From 2018, spellings with and without fadas are counted separately. Earlier figures group these spellings together, so the graph has a break at 2018.
View yearly figures
| Year | Babies named | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | #509 |
| 2024 | 10 | #374 |
| 2023 | 11 | #343 |
| 2022 | 11 | #367 |
| 2021 | 10 | #364 |
| 2020 | 9 | #402 |
| 2019 | 17 | #268 |
| 2018 | 15 | #291 |
| 2017 | 17 | #272 |
| 2016 | 30 | #190 |
| 2015 | 25 | #221 |
| 2014 | 30 | #193 |
| 2013 | 29 | #202 |
| 2012 | 26 | #221 |
| 2011 | 36 | #183 |
| 2010 | 35 | #183 |
| 2009 | 40 | #156 |
| 2008 | 44 | #152 |
| 2007 | 26 | #190 |
| 2006 | 37 | #144 |
| 2005 | 46 | #119 |
| 2004 | 30 | #146 |
| 2003 | 31 | #136 |
| 2002 | 33 | #134 |
| 2001 | 37 | #120 |
| 2000 | 41 | #113 |
| 1999 | 52 | #92 |
| 1998 | 48 | #89 |
| 1997 | 73 | #83 |
| 1996 | 60 | #96 |
| 1995 | 73 | #80 |
| 1994 | 79 | #77 |
| 1993 | 68 | #88 |
| 1992 | 88 | #75 |
| 1991 | 96 | #67 |
| 1990 | 109 | #65 |
| 1989 | 98 | #68 |
| 1988 | 115 | #65 |
| 1987 | 113 | #66 |
| 1986 | 120 | #62 |
| 1985 | 127 | #58 |
| 1984 | 150 | #56 |
| 1983 | 141 | #61 |
| 1982 | 178 | #52 |
| 1981 | 161 | #60 |
| 1980 | 186 | #57 |
| 1979 | 144 | #67 |
| 1978 | 152 | #61 |
| 1977 | 178 | #55 |
| 1976 | 178 | #55 |
| 1975 | 164 | #56 |
| 1974 | 214 | #48 |
| 1973 | 199 | #53 |
| 1972 | 159 | #54 |
| 1971 | 160 | #54 |
| 1970 | 165 | #44 |
| 1969 | 160 | #44 |
| 1968 | 156 | #42 |
| 1967 | 155 | #43 |
| 1966 | 157 | #44 |
| 1965 | 189 | #38 |
| 1964 | 144 | #45 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies’ Names, tables VSA50 and VSA60. Latest year: 2025.