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Summary
- No one named Donald appears in the Bible, and the name has no Hebrew or Greek form or meaning.
- Donald is the English form of the Scottish Gaelic Dòmhnall, “ruler of the world,” from Old Irish words for “world” and “rule.”
- Two ninth-century kings of the Scots and Picts bore the name; in the United States it was a top-ten name for boys from 1923 to 1942.
- Saint Donald of Ogilvy, an eighth-century Scot, led a religious life with his nine daughters, the Nine Maidens; his feast is 15 July.
- Bearers in the 20th century include Archbishop Donald Coggan, the missiologist Donald McGavran and the theologian Donald Bloesch.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- Behind the Name, “Donald,” “Domhnall,” “Donal,” “Don,” “Donnie” and “Donna,” with United States popularity figures from Social Security Administration data; Behind the Name surnames, “MacDonald.” https://www.behindthename.com/name/donald
- “Donald (given name),” Wikipedia, on Proto-Celtic *Dumno-ualos and the Celtic cognates. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_(given_name)
- “Domnall mac Ailpín” and “Domnall mac Causantín,” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domnall_mac_Ailp%C3%ADn
- Catholic Online, “St. Donald of Ogilvy.” https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=621
- Celtic and Old English Saints, “Donald of Ogilvy,” 15 July. https://celticsaints.org/2010/0715b.html
- “Donald Coggan,” “Donald McGavran” and “Donald G. Bloesch,” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Coggan
- Scripture quotations: Psalm 47:7 and Mark 10:42–43, English Standard Version. Reference: Mark 10:35–41.
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