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Donnelly
OriginIrish
Meaning"dark, brave one"
GenderBoy & girl
US rank · boysUnranked
Below 5 births
US rank · girlsUnranked
Below 5 births
About Donnelly
Donnelly is among the more appealing Irish surname names, less well used than Donovan. Related options include the place name Donegal and the mythological god name Donegan.
Donnelly for girls
Makes Donna into a cool twenty-first-century unisex Irish surname.
Pronounced DON-uh-lee.
As of October 2026, Donnelly ranked #7019 in US births in 1986 SSA, peaked at #3612 in 1922.
Popularity & trends
US popularity — history
US rank, lower is more popular · SSA data 2014–2025
Actual · SSA
20142025
18802025
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | — | 0 | 0 |
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Donnelly on lists
Famous Donnellys
- Donnelly Rhodes (Henry)Boy
Canadian actor
- The Black DonnellysBoy
notorious Irish,Canadian family murdered by a mob
Donnelly in pop culture
- "Donnelly and CooperBoy
" Irish ballad about a boxing match
- "The Black DonnellysBoy
" TV series
Variations & nicknames
Donnelly in blog posts
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