How Many People Are Named Dona?
An estimated 8,105 people in the United States have the first name Dona. It is predominantly female (99.1%). The average bearer is 68 years old, and Dona peaked in popularity in 1954 with 492 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Dona as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Dona paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Dona is overwhelmingly female, 175 male births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- With an average bearer age of 68, Dona is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1968.
Estimated Living Americans
8,105
About 1 in 42,289 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
99.1% confidence
Average Age
68
years old
Peak Year
1954
492 births
Total Registered
19,027
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Dona
Dona is almost exclusively a female name. Out of 19,027 total births registered, 99.1% were female.
Dona as a male name
Ranked #6,622 in 1982
5 male births in 1982
Peak: 1928 (12 births)
Dona as a female name
Ranked #13,898 in 2024
6 female births in 2024
Peak: 1954 (487 births)
Dona in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 12,121 people with the first name Dona, which placed it at #2,181 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Dona was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 12,121 people with this name in that snapshot, 1.1% were male and 98.9% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 99.1% of the time.
Census Count
12,121
people with this name
Census Rank
#2,181
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
4.01
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Dona was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (83.78%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (5.27%) and Asian and Pacific Islander (3.75%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Dona in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Dona.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 83.78% | 10,155 |
| Black | 5.27% | 639 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 3.75% | 454 |
| Hispanic | 3.70% | 448 |
| Two or More Races | 2.75% | 333 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.76% | 92 |
Dona: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Dona span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1950s, when 3,943 babies were registered. Dona has declined significantly from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Dona by Decade
How has Dona tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Dona by State
Birth registrations for Dona span all 46 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, New York, Texas. The lowest are in Vermont, South Carolina, New Hampshire. On average, about 297 Donas were registered per state.
Dona + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Dona as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Dona
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
Dona: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dona?
We estimate approximately 8,105 people named Dona are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 42,289 Americans share this first name.
Is Dona a common name?
Dona is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 97.4% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 19,027 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Dona most popular?
Dona reached peak popularity in 1954, when 492 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Dona is approximately 68 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Dona in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 12,121 people with the first name Dona. That placed it at #2,181 in the published Census first-name tables, or 4.01 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Dona was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Dona?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Dona was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 1.1% male and 98.9% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Dona?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Dona was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (83.78%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (5.27%) and Asian and Pacific Islander (3.75%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Dona a female name?
Dona is predominantly female. 99.1% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Dona have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Dona peaked in 1954, and the average living bearer is about 68 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Dona Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Dona Smith, Dona Johnson, Dona Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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