Holding steady.
Popularity of Donley since 1909
Babies named Donley per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1934, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Donley's real moment was 1909.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 5 |
| 1910s | 36 |
| 1920s | 107 |
| 1930s | 146 |
| 1940s | 116 |
| 1950s | 90 |
| 1960s | 34 |
| 1970s | 15 |
| 1980s | 10 |
| 1990s | 5 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Donley is a rare given name that first appeared in U.S. Social Security records in 1909, with no recorded rank in any year. Its peak year was 1909, and it has maintained a very low, stable usage ever since. The name functions as a surname adoption, likely derived from the Irish Ó Donnghaile, and has remained uncommon, with no top states associated. While it never achieved widespread popularity, Donley offers a distinctive alternative to more common Irish surname-names like Donnelly.
Donley is primarily a transferred use of the Irish surname Ó Donnghaile, meaning 'descendant of Donnghal' (a personal name composed of donn 'brown' and gal 'valor'). It may also derive from an English habitational surname from Donley in Yorkshire. As a given name, it emerged in the early 20th century, likely as a variant of Donnelly or a surname adoption.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Don
Sibling names for Donley
Names that share Donley's style, for a brother or sister.
