Girl
Italian / Latin
2 syllables
Donna
DON-uh
/ˈdɒn.ə/
"Lady" — a midcentury classic rooted in the Italian word for noblewoman
Donna is derived from the Italian donna meaning lady or woman, itself from the Latin domina meaning mistress of the house. It was adopted as a given name in the United States in the early 20th century and soared in popularity during the 1950s and 60s. Ritchie Valens' 1958 hit song Donna helped cement the name's cultural prominence. It has since declined but retains a warm, nostalgic character.
Quick Facts
Letters5
SyllablesDon · na
GenderGirl
OriginItalian / Latin
Root WordDomina
MeaningLady, mistress of the house
PopularityUncommon
Peak Year1960
Trend
→ Stable
Name DayAugust 13
Nicknames
DonDonnieDona
About the Name Donna
Donna means lady or mistress of the house, from the Italian donna and Latin domina. It connotes a woman of status and dignity.
Donna peaked in the 1960s and is now relatively uncommon for newborns. It is strongly associated with the Baby Boomer generation.
Donna Summer, the Queen of Disco, is perhaps the most famous bearer. Donna Reed, the actress, and singer Donna Lewis are other notable examples.
Donna comes from the Italian word donna meaning woman or lady. It was adopted as a given name in English-speaking countries in the early 20th century.
Donna Marie, Donna Lee, and Donna Rose are classic combinations from the name's peak era.
Yes. Madonna means my lady, from the Italian ma donna (my donna). Both names share the same root donna meaning lady.
Personality of Donna
Perceived character traits commonly associated with people named Donna
Creativity
68%
Elegance
64%
Independence
74%
Intelligence
72%
Strength
76%
Warmth
90%
Famous People Named Donna
D
Donna Summer
American singer, Queen of Disco, known for Hot Stuff and Last Dance
D
Donna Reed
American actress, Oscar winner and star of The Donna Reed Show
D
Donna (Ritchie Valens song)
1958 hit song by Ritchie Valens, written for his girlfriend Donna Ludwig, that reached number two in the US
Middle Names for Donna
Beautiful combinations that flow well with Donna
Donna Marie
Donna Lynn
Donna Lee
Donna Ann
Donna Kay
Donna Jean
Donna Mae
Donna Rose
Donna Michelle
Donna Renee
Names Similar to Donna
Similar Sound
Similar Meaning
Sibling Name Ideas
History of Donna
1920s
Donna begins appearing as a given name in the United States, borrowing Italian elegance
1958
Ritchie Valens releases the hit song Donna, boosting the name's cultural resonance
1960
Donna reaches peak US popularity, ranking in the top 10 girls' names
1970s
Donna Summer becomes the Queen of Disco, the name's most iconic 20th-century bearer
Numerology & Symbolism of Donna
3
Destiny Number
Sum of all letters
7
Soul Urge
Sum of vowels
♍
Zodiac Affinity
Taurus
6
Lucky Number
Personal power digit
🎨
Lucky Color
Warm Red
💎
Lucky Stone
Coral
🌸
Lucky Flower
Red Carnation
Donna Around the World
How Donna is written in different languages and scripts
دونا
Arabic
ドナ
Japanese
Донна
Russian
도나
Korean
唐娜
Chinese
Ντόνα
Greek
डोना
Hindi
דונה
Hebrew
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