Daniel in Irish: Donal
The Irish form of Daniel is Donal, a boy's name meaning “ruler of the world.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Irish form
- Donal
- Meaning
- Ruler of the world
- Gender
- Boy
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 13 for boys (2025)
How do you say Daniel in Irish?
Daniel in Irish is Donal, pronounced DOE-nal. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Donal mean?
Donal means “ruler of the world.” Daniel is one of the English forms of the name.
Read more about Donal: its meaning, origin and stories
How popular is Daniel in Ireland?
In 2025, 225 baby boys in Ireland were named Daniel, which made it No. 13 that year. That's down from No. 3 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 2009, when 842 baby boys were named Daniel, No. 3 that year. The records go back to 1964, when 395 baby boys were given the name.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 225 | No. 13 |
| 2024 | 257 | No. 11 |
| 2023 | 256 | No. 10 |
| 2022 | 303 | No. 10 |
| 2021 | 325 | No. 8 |
| 2020 | 359 | No. 4 |
| 2019 | 399 | No. 5 |
| 2018 | 433 | No. 5 |
| 2017 | 536 | No. 3 |
| 2016 | 558 | No. 3 |
| 2015 | 617 | No. 3 |
| 2014 | 638 | No. 3 |
| 2013 | 678 | No. 3 |
| 2012 | 683 | No. 3 |
| 2011 | 711 | No. 4 |
| 2010 | 792 | No. 3 |
| 2009 | 842 | No. 3 |
| 2008 | 828 | No. 4 |
| 2007 | 725 | No. 4 |
| 2006 | 636 | No. 6 |
| 2005 | 654 | No. 6 |
| 2004 | 630 | No. 6 |
| 2003 | 617 | No. 6 |
| 2002 | 559 | No. 6 |
| 2001 | 475 | No. 11 |
| 2000 | 467 | No. 11 |
| 1999 | 479 | No. 9 |
| 1998 | 428 | No. 10 |
| 1997 | 607 | No. 8 |
| 1996 | 684 | No. 5 |
| 1995 | 609 | No. 8 |
| 1994 | 518 | No. 10 |
| 1993 | 564 | No. 10 |
| 1992 | 594 | No. 10 |
| 1991 | 610 | No. 10 |
| 1990 | 623 | No. 9 |
| 1989 | 575 | No. 11 |
| 1988 | 517 | No. 13 |
| 1987 | 495 | No. 16 |
| 1986 | 557 | No. 14 |
| 1985 | 547 | No. 14 |
| 1984 | 462 | No. 16 |
| 1983 | 455 | No. 16 |
| 1982 | 395 | No. 26 |
| 1981 | 431 | No. 21 |
| 1980 | 373 | No. 25 |
| 1979 | 350 | No. 27 |
| 1978 | 322 | No. 29 |
| 1977 | 316 | No. 31 |
| 1976 | 309 | No. 30 |
| 1975 | 304 | No. 29 |
| 1974 | 268 | No. 37 |
| 1973 | 285 | No. 33 |
| 1972 | 257 | No. 36 |
| 1971 | 288 | No. 28 |
| 1970 | 330 | No. 26 |
| 1969 | 298 | No. 25 |
| 1968 | 324 | No. 25 |
| 1967 | 304 | No. 26 |
| 1966 | 337 | No. 24 |
| 1965 | 344 | No. 25 |
| 1964 | 395 | No. 19 |
Donal in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Donal, letter by letter.
- DDair, oak
- OOnn, gorse
- NNion, ash
- AAilm, pine
- LLuis, rowan
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Daniel
Questions about Daniel
- What is Daniel in Irish?
- The Irish form of Daniel is Donal, pronounced DOE-nal. Donal means “ruler of the world.”
- How do you pronounce Donal?
- Donal is pronounced DOE-nal. Two syllables, stress on the first.
- Is Daniel a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Daniel is a boy's name.
- How popular is Daniel in Ireland?
- In 2025, Daniel was No. 13 for boys in Ireland, with 225 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 2009, at No. 3.