Donna

See also: donna, dónna, dònna, and Dønna

English

Etymology 1

A 19th-century invention from the Italian noun donna; also interpreted as a feminine form of Donald.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdɒnə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈdɑnə/, /ˈdänːə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒnə

Proper noun

Donna

1. A female given name from Italian.
   • 1914, Mary McNeil Fenollosa, Ariadne of Allan Water, Burt, published 1914, page 30:

     "Did you ever know a lady named Miss May-rant? With a funny sort of first name, like Donna? Yes, that is it - Miss Donna May-rant."

   • 1958, Ritchie Valens, “Donna”:

     I had a girl / Donna was her name. / Since she left me / I've never been the same.

   • 2022 July 12, Gregory Krieg, “Progressive pro-Israel group takes on AIPAC in Michigan Democratic primary fight”, in CNN‎^[1], archived from the original on 24 February 2025:

     The group has dramatically raised the stakes, too, in Maryland, ahead of its July 19 primary, already spending more than $4 million to defeat former Rep. Donna Edwards in the 4th Congressional District. J Street’s super PAC recently invested there to defend Edwards with a $500,000 television buy, complementing more than $150,000 in digital and direct mail advertising.

   • 2024 March 14, Saira Mueller, “Millions have played Wordle, but there’s more to the game than you’d expect”, in CNN‎^[2], archived from the original on 19 August 2025:

     For Donna Cona, who has played it since before the Times acquisition, Wordle has become her go-to thing each morning.

2. A city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States, named after postmistress Donna Fletcher.

Usage notes

• Popular in the U.S.A. in the 1940s and the 1950s, and in the U.K. in the 1970s and the 1980s.

Translations

female given name

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 唐娜 (Tángnà)

• Greek: Ντόνα (el) f (Ntóna)
• Japanese: ドナ (Dona)
• Korean: 도나 (Dona)
• Polish: Donna (pl) f
• Russian: До́нна f (Dónna)
• Thai: ดอนนา (dɔɔn-naa)

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Italian Donnabor.

English Donna

Borrowed from Italian Donna.

Proper noun

Donna (plural Donnas)

1. A surname from Italian.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Donna is the 36246^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 618 individuals. Donna is most common among White (81.88%) individuals.

Further reading

• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Donna”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 1, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 479.

Anagrams

• Nando, Andon, Danno, andon, nonda, nonad

Cebuano

Etymology

From English Donna, from Italian donna.

Proper noun

Donna

1. a female given name from English

Italian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Proper noun

Donna m or f by sense

1. a surname originating as a matronymic

Plautdietsch

Noun

Donna

1. thunder

See also

• German Low German: Donner