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Domhnall

Boy name · 13 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Domhnall: 13 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 4 births in 1995.

Domhnall is the Gaelic original of the name Donald, rooted in the Old Irish *Domnall*, which combines *domun* (“world”) and *val* (“rule”) to mean “world ruler” or “ruler of the world.” Among its notable bearers are the medieval Irish king Domhnall Ua Ceinnéidigh, the 17th-century Scottish poet Domhnall MacMhuirich, and the modern Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson, known for films like *The Revenant*. While the anglicised form Donald appears in numerous Scottish place names—such as Port Donald on the Isle of Skye—the Gaelic spelling itself is less common in place-naming. A fascinating connection is that Clann Domhnaill (Clan Donald) is one of the largest and most powerful Scottish clans, its chiefs carrying the name for centuries. Variants include Dòmhnall (with a grave accent) and the diminutive Dolly, but in modern Scotland the name is often rendered simply as Donald, though Domhnall retains a strong cultural and linguistic authenticity among Gaelic speakers.