Donald

Donald
Pronunciation/ˈdɒnəld/
GenderMale
Language(s)English, Scottish Gaelic
Origin
Word/nameDomhnall, Dómhnall, Dòmhnall, Domhnull, Dòmhnull
DerivationProto-Celtic *dumno-ualos
Meaning"world ruler", "world wielder"
Other names
Short form(s)Don
Pet form(s)Donnie, Donny, Dolly
Cognate(s)Domnall, Dónal, Donal, Donall, Donnell, Dolan, Dyfnwal, Dumnagual
Derivative(s)Donella

Donald is a masculine given name derived from the Gaelic name Dòmhnall.[1] This comes from the Proto-Celtic *Dumno-ualos ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder").[2][3][4] The final -d in Donald is partly derived from a misinterpretation of the Gaelic pronunciation by English speakers, and partly associated with the spelling of similar-sounding Germanic names, such as Ronald. A short form of Donald is Don. Pet forms of Donald include Donnie and Donny. The feminine given name Donella is derived from Donald.[1]

Donald has cognates in other Celtic languages: Modern Irish Dónal (anglicised as Donal and Donall);[5] Scottish Gaelic Dòmhnall,[6] Domhnull[7] and Dòmhnull;[8] Welsh Dyfnwal and Cumbric Dumnagual. Although the feminine given name Donna is sometimes used as a feminine form of Donald, the names are not etymologically related.[1]

Pronunciation
Irish: Dónall
Pronunciation: [ˈd̪ˠoːnˠəl̪ˠ]
Manx Gaelic: Dolyn
Pronunciation: [ˈdðolən]
Scottish Gaelic: Dòmhnall
Pronunciation: [ˈt̪õːəl̪ˠ]

Variations

Old Irish Modern Irish Hiberno-English Scottish Gaelic Scottish English Scots
Domhnall Dónal Donal Dòmhnall Donald Donnald

Kings and noblemen

Domnall or Domhnall is the name of many ancient and medieval Gaelic kings and noblemen:

Given name

Domhnall

Donnell

Don

  • Don Adams (1923–2005), American actor, comedian and director
  • Don Airey (born 1948), English keyboardist
  • Don Ameche (1908–1993), Hollywood actor
  • Don Barksdale (1923–1993), American basketball player
  • Don Bertoia, Canadian middle-distance runner
  • Don Bluth (born 1937), animator, film director, producer, writer, production designer, video game designer and independent studio owner
  • Don Bowman (singer) (1937–2013), American comedian, country music singer, and songwriter
  • Don Callis (born 1963), Canadian professional wrestler, wrestling manager, and actor
  • Don Cazayoux (born 1964), American lawyer and politician
  • Don Chaffey (1917–1990), British film director, writer, producer, and art director
  • Don Chard, Canadian politician
  • Don Cheadle (born 1964), American actor and producer
  • Don Cherry (born 1934), Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and television commentator
  • Don Cherry (American football) (born 1994), American football player
  • Don Cherry (singer) (1924–2018), American singer and golfer
  • Don Cherry (trumpeter) (1936–1995), American jazz trumpeter
  • Don R. Christensen (1916–2006), American animator, cartoonist, and writer
  • Don Christopher (1934–2022), American farmer
  • Don Ciccone (1946–2016), American singer-songwriter, member of the band The Critters
  • Don Cornelius (1936–2012), American television show host and producer
  • Don Cornell (1919–2004), stage name of Luigi Varlaro, American singer
  • Dominick Don Costa (1925–1983), American conductor and record producer
  • Don Covay (1936–2015), American singer and songwriter
  • Don Criqui (born 1950), American sportscaster
  • Don Diablo (born 1980), Dutch DJ, record producer, musician and songwriter of electronic music
  • Don Digirolamo, American re-recording mixer
  • Don Dokken (born 1953), American singer, lead singer of Dokken
  • Don Drysdale (1936–1993), American baseball pitcher and sportscaster
  • Don Dunstan (1926–1999), South Australian politician
  • Don Estelle (1933–2003), British actor and singer
  • Don Everly (1937–2021), American country-influenced rock and roll singer and guitarist
  • Don Felder (born 1947), American singer-songwriter and guitarist, former member of the Eagles
  • Don Frye (born 1965), American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler
  • Don Garber (born 1957), American sports executive
  • Don Gardner (1931–2018), American singer-songwriter
  • Don Gibson (1928–2003), American songwriter and country musician
  • Don Gilman (1934–2005), American politician
  • Don Goldstein (1937–2022), American basketball player
  • Don Gorske (born 1953), “Big Mac” Enthusiast and Guinness World Record holder of most Big Macs eaten
  • Don Gullett (born 1951), American baseball pitcher
  • Don Gullick (1924–2000), Welsh rugby union and rugby league footballer and coach
  • Don Hasselbeck (born 1955), American football player
  • Don Henley (born 1947), founding member of the Eagles rock group
  • Don Herbert (1917–2007), television's "Mr. Wizard"
  • Don Hewitt (1922–2009), American television news producer
  • Don Ho (1930–2007), American pop musician, singer and entertainer
  • Don Hutson (1913–1997), American football player
  • Don Imus (1940–2019), American radio and television host
  • Don Johnson (born 1949), American actor, producer and singer
  • Don Johnson (sports executive) (1930–2012), Canadian sports executive and president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
  • Don King (boxing promoter) (born 1931), American boxing promoter
  • Don King (coach) (born 1926), American football player and coach
  • Don King (defensive back) (born 1964), American football player
  • Don King (defensive lineman) (1929–2014), American football player
  • Don King (musician) (born 1954), American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and trumpeter
  • Don King (photographer) (born 1960), American photographer, cinematographer, and film director
  • Don Roy King (born 1947), American television director
  • Don Kirshner (1934–2011), American music publisher, rock music producer, talent manager, and songwriter
  • Don Knotts (1924–2006), American actor and comedian
  • Don Larsen (1929–2020), American baseball player
  • Don Lemon (born 1966), American television personality and current host of CNN Tonight
  • Don L. Lind (1930–2022), American scientist and a former naval officer and aviator, and NASA astronaut
  • Don MacLean (basketball) (born 1970), American basketball player and color commentator
  • Don Marion Davis (1917–2020), American child actor
  • Don Mattingly, American pro baseball player for the New York Yankees and manager of the LA Dodgers; aka "Donnie Baseball" and "The Hitman"
  • Don McLean (born 1945), American singer-songwriter and musician
  • Don Murray (1929–2024), American actor
  • Don Nelson (born 1940), American basketball player and coach
  • Don Nelson (screenwriter) (1927–2013), American screenwriter, film producer, and jazz musician
  • Don Nickles (born 1948), American politician
  • Don Omar (born 1978), Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor
  • Don Patinkin (1922–1995), Israeli-American economist, and President of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  • Don Payne, American writer and producer
  • Don Quarrie (born 1951), Jamaican sprinter
  • Don Reid (born 1945), lead singer of American country group The Statler Brothers
  • Don Rickles (1926–2017), American stand-up comedian
  • Don Robesky (1906–2002), American football player
  • Don Rondo (1930–2011), American singer
  • Don Shula (1930–2020), American football coach
  • Don Slater (born 1954), British sociologist
  • Don Trahan (born 1949), American golfer, father of D. J. Trahan
  • Don Van Vliet (1941–2010), American singer, songwriter and musician, also known as Captain Beefheart
  • Don Warrington (born 1951), Trinidadian-born British actor
  • Don Waterman (born 1950), American racing driver
  • Don Webb (American football) (born 1939), American football player
  • Don Webb (playwright), English playwright and dramatist
  • Don Webb (writer) (born 1960), American science fiction, mystery, and horror writer
  • Don Wilson (American football) (born 1961), American football player
  • Don Wilson (announcer) (1900–1982), American radio and television announcer and actor
  • Don Wilson (Australian footballer) (1914–2015), Australian footballer
  • Don Wilson (baseball) (1945–1975), American baseball pitcher
  • Don Wilson (cricketer) (1927–2012), English cricketer
  • Don Wilson (pastor) (born 1949), American Christian pastor and creationist
  • Don E. Wilson (born 1944), American zoologist
  • Don M. Wilson III (born 1948), American banker and corporate director
  • Don W. Wilson (born 1942), American historian and archivist
  • Don Williams (1939–2017), American singer-songwriter
  • Don Williams (offensive lineman) (1919–2001), American football player
  • Don Williams (American football coach) (1927–2013), American football, track and field coach
  • Don Williams (footballer, born 1935) (1935–1995), Australian rules footballer
  • Don Williams (footballer, born 1939) (born 1939), Australian rules footballer
  • Don Williams (poker player) (1942–2013), American poker player
  • Don Williams (racing driver) (1947–1989), American racing driver
  • Don Zewin (1952-2021), American professional poker player

Donal

  • Donal Logue (born 1969), Canadian actor
  • Donal MacIntyre (born 1966), Irish investigative reporter
  • Donal Murray (bishop) (born 1940), the Roman Catholic Bishop of Limerick (1996–2009)
  • Donal O'Brien (disambiguation), several individuals
  • Donal O'Donoghue (1894–1971), Irish Fianna Fáil politician
  • Donal O'Shea, Canadian mathematician
  • Donal O'Sullivan (disambiguation), several individuals
  • Donal Roe MacCarthy Mór (died 1302), 13th-century noble of Ireland, Prince of the Kingdom of Desmond
  • Donal MacCarthy Reagh (1450/1460–1531), 9th Prince of Carbery (1505–1531)
  • Donal Skehan (born 1986), Irish singer, television personality/presenter, food writer/cook and photographer

Dónal

Donald

Donaldo

Donnie

Donny

Fictional

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, pp. 78, 402, ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1.
  2. ^ Koch, John T. (2006), "Dyfnwal ap Tewdor", in Koch, John T. (ed.), Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia, ABC-CLIO, pp. 639–640, ISBN 1-85109-445-8
  3. ^ Koch, John T. (2006), "Domnall Brecc", in Koch, John T. (ed.), Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia, ABC-CLIO, p. 604, ISBN 1-85109-445-8
  4. ^ Norman, Teresa. Names Through the Ages. Berkley Books, 1999. pp.129, 136
  5. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, p. 346, ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1.
  6. ^ Mark, Colin (2006), The Gaelic-English Dictionary, Routledge, p. 714, ISBN 0-203-22259-8.
  7. ^ Maceachen, Ewan (1922), Maceachen's Gaelic-English Dictionary (4, revised and enlarged ed.), The Northern Counties Newspaper and Printing and Publishing Company, pp. 467–469.
  8. ^ MacFarlane, Malcolm (1912), The School Gaelic Dictionary prepared for the use of learners of the Gaelic language, Eneas Mackay, p. 144
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See also
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