Donal: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Donal is an Irish 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 November 2026
- Meaning
- Ruler of the world
- Gender
- Boy
- English forms
- Donald, Daniel
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 509 for boys (2025)
How do you pronounce Donal?
Donal is pronounced DOE-nal. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Donal mean?
Donal is an anglicised form of the Irish Domhnall (Old Irish Domnall), an old name meaning “ruler of the world.” It joins Old Irish words for “world” and “rule”; Woulfe traces it to an early Celtic form meaning “world-mighty,” though he also allows “mighty in the deep.” Woulfe calls it one of the most ancient Irish names, generally anglicised Daniel in Ireland and Donald in Scotland.
“Dónall Óg” (“Young Dónall”) is an Irish-language love song of unknown authorship, in which a young woman reproaches the lover who broke his promise to her. Lady Gregory and Frank O’Connor are among those who have translated it into English.
Sources: Behind the Name, Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923), balladindex.org, mainlynorfolk.info.
How popular is Donal in Ireland?
In 2025, 6 baby boys in Ireland were named Donal, which made it No. 509 that year. Another 5 were registered as Dónal. That's down from No. 221 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 1965, when 189 baby boys were named Donal, No. 38 that year. The most babies got the name in 1974: 214. The records go back to 1964, when 144 baby boys were given the name.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11 | No. 509 (Donal) |
| 2024 | 21 | No. 350 (Dónal) |
| 2023 | 17 | No. 343 (Donal) |
| 2022 | 14 | No. 367 (Donal) |
| 2021 | 14 | No. 364 (Donal) |
| 2020 | 18 | No. 402 (Dónal) |
| 2019 | 27 | No. 268 (Donal) |
| 2018 | 28 | No. 291 (Donal) |
| 2017 | 17 | No. 272 (Donal) |
| 2016 | 30 | No. 190 (Donal) |
| 2015 | 25 | No. 221 (Donal) |
| 2014 | 30 | No. 193 (Donal) |
| 2013 | 29 | No. 202 (Donal) |
| 2012 | 26 | No. 221 (Donal) |
| 2011 | 36 | No. 183 (Donal) |
| 2010 | 35 | No. 183 (Donal) |
| 2009 | 40 | No. 156 (Donal) |
| 2008 | 44 | No. 152 (Donal) |
| 2007 | 26 | No. 190 (Donal) |
| 2006 | 37 | No. 144 (Donal) |
| 2005 | 46 | No. 119 (Donal) |
| 2004 | 30 | No. 146 (Donal) |
| 2003 | 31 | No. 136 (Donal) |
| 2002 | 33 | No. 134 (Donal) |
| 2001 | 37 | No. 120 (Donal) |
| 2000 | 41 | No. 113 (Donal) |
| 1999 | 52 | No. 92 (Donal) |
| 1998 | 48 | No. 89 (Donal) |
| 1997 | 73 | No. 83 (Donal) |
| 1996 | 60 | No. 96 (Donal) |
| 1995 | 73 | No. 80 (Donal) |
| 1994 | 79 | No. 77 (Donal) |
| 1993 | 68 | No. 88 (Donal) |
| 1992 | 88 | No. 75 (Donal) |
| 1991 | 96 | No. 67 (Donal) |
| 1990 | 109 | No. 65 (Donal) |
| 1989 | 98 | No. 68 (Donal) |
| 1988 | 115 | No. 65 (Donal) |
| 1987 | 113 | No. 66 (Donal) |
| 1986 | 120 | No. 62 (Donal) |
| 1985 | 127 | No. 58 (Donal) |
| 1984 | 150 | No. 56 (Donal) |
| 1983 | 141 | No. 61 (Donal) |
| 1982 | 178 | No. 52 (Donal) |
| 1981 | 161 | No. 60 (Donal) |
| 1980 | 186 | No. 57 (Donal) |
| 1979 | 144 | No. 67 (Donal) |
| 1978 | 152 | No. 61 (Donal) |
| 1977 | 178 | No. 55 (Donal) |
| 1976 | 178 | No. 55 (Donal) |
| 1975 | 164 | No. 56 (Donal) |
| 1974 | 214 | No. 48 (Donal) |
| 1973 | 199 | No. 53 (Donal) |
| 1972 | 159 | No. 54 (Donal) |
| 1971 | 160 | No. 54 (Donal) |
| 1970 | 165 | No. 44 (Donal) |
| 1969 | 160 | No. 44 (Donal) |
| 1968 | 156 | No. 42 (Donal) |
| 1967 | 155 | No. 43 (Donal) |
| 1966 | 157 | No. 44 (Donal) |
| 1965 | 189 | No. 38 (Donal) |
| 1964 | 144 | No. 45 (Donal) |
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 Donal
Questions about Donal
- How do you pronounce Donal?
- Donal is pronounced DOE-nal, with two syllables and the stress on the first.
- What does Donal mean?
- Donal is an Irish boy's name meaning “ruler of the world.”
- Is Donal a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Donal is a boy's name.
- What is Donal in English?
- The English forms of Donal are Donald and Daniel.
- How popular is Donal in Ireland?
- In 2025, Donal was No. 509 for boys in Ireland, with 6 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 1965, at No. 38.
Sources: popularity from the Central Statistics Office, table VSA50 (CC BY 4.0). Meaning and origin from Behind the Name, Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923), balladindex.org and mainlynorfolk.info. How we research names: our sources. Spotted a mistake? support@babynamesofireland.com