Donna

Italian

"lady"

Donna Origin and Meaning

The name Donna is a girl's name of Italian origin meaning "lady".

Literally meaning "lady" in Italian, Donna was the perfect ladylike housewife mom name on The Donna Reed Show in the fifties and sixties. And there were plenty of namesakes: Donna was in the Top 10 in 1964. These days we'd be more likely to associate it with the emanciatpated clothes of Donna Karen than as a baby name.

Though it seems to have a midcentury date stamp, Donna goes back to at least the late nineteenth century, reaching the Top 100 in 1926 and the Top 20 in the 1940s. In 1960, Donna was the fifth most popular name in the United States. Off the charts now, Donna is still remebered as the subject/object of many pop songs, and via the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer,and current bestselling author Donna Tartt.

Donna Rank in US Top 1000

# 984 in the US

Popularity of the name Donna

• 1490 Nameberry 2025
• 941 Unique 2024

20 Names Similar to Donna

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Donna.

• Hillary
• Suzanne
• Brenda
• Carla
• Tina
• Paula
• Candace
• Karen
• Janet
• Patricia
• Joanne
• Cheryl
• Jenny
• Linda
• Deborah
• Stacy
• Jill
• Carol
• Lisa
• Hilary

Famous People Named Donna

• Donna Reed (born Donna Belle Mullenger) American actress
• Donna Douglas (born Doris Ione Smith) American actress
• LaDonna "Donna" Summer American disco singer
• Donna Ivy (Faske) Karan American fashion designer
• Donna Lynn Dixon American actress
• Donna Loren American singer and actress
• Donna Pescow American actress
• Donna Leon American novelist
• Donna Ares (born Azra Kolakovic) Bosnian singer
• Donna Vekić Croatian tennis player
• Donna Jean Thatcher Godchaux American singer formerly of The Grateful Dead
• Donna Edna Shalala former U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services
• Donna Murphy American actress and singer
• Donna Tartt American novelist
• Donna Brazile American author, academic, and political analyst; Democratic party leader
• Donna Long musician in Irish,American group Cherish the Ladies
• Donna D'Errico (b. 1968) America actress, model, appeared on Baywatch,

The name Donna in Pop Culture

• Donna Jackson character on British TV series "Holby City"
• Donna Paulsen character from TV's "Suits"
• Donna Pinciotti character from TV's "That 70's Show"
• Donna Noble character from TV's "Doctor Who"
• Donna character in Spider,Man comics
• Donnatella "Donna" Moss character from TV's "The West Wing"
• Donna Hayward character on TV's "Twin Peaks"
• Donna Troy aka Wonder Girl DC Universe character
• Donna Nance aka Black Siren DC Universe character
• Donna Meagle character from "Parks and Recreation"
• Donna character from 2008 movie "Prom Night"
• Donna Jo "D.J." Tanner character on TV's "Full House"
• The Donnas American all,girl punk band
• "I See Donna Everywhere" song by band "Too Much Joy"
• Donna Cherry from the movie "Jericho Mansions"
• "Donna " 1958 hit song by Ritchie Valens
• Donna Winston character from TV's "Sons of Anarchy"
• Donna Sheridan character from Mamma Mia
• Donna Underwood Noah's mom in Carl Hiaasen's "Flush"
• Donna Freedman character on Australian soap "Neighbours"
• Donna Martin character from "Beverly Hills 90210"
• Donna Parr Teague, character from "Sims" series
• Donna character from "Siren"
• "Leaving Donna" a Vocaloid song by Empath,P, sung by the Vocaloid SeeU.