Record Low Popularity of Baby Name ‘Donald’ in 2025

The Social Security Administration (SSA) listed ‘Donald’ at rank 690 among male baby names in 2025, with 395 newborns receiving the name. This placement is the lowest recorded since the agency began publishing name data in the 1880s. The name fell from rank 673 in 2024, reflecting a continued downward trend.

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‘Donald’ peaked in 1934 as the sixth-most popular male name, with 30,408 boys given the name. It remained in the Top 10 from 1923 to 1942, dropped out of the Top 50 in the late 1970s and out of the Top 100 in the early 1990s. The steepest single-year decline occurred in 2022, when the name fell 81 positions.

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Naming analysts note that presidential and vice-presidential names often lose favor during incumbencies. Nameberry editor-in-chief Sophie Kihm says parents “make a conscious effort to avoid current presidential and vice presidential names.” A broader shift favors newer styles such as “Logan” and “Liam,” while traditional “grandpa” names like Donald are perceived as outdated. The shift reflects a broader generational preference for names perceived as modern and less associated with older public figures.

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The SSA’s annual name-ranking report, released in early 2025, provides the quantitative basis for the observed decline. The agency’s methodology tracks the frequency of each name given to newborns across the United States and publishes the results each year.

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Some commentators link the name’s decline to President Donald Trump’s low approval ratings. Kihm counters that “political names are not correlated with the popularity of political figures, at least not in this day and age,” and attributes the drop primarily to the name’s perception as an outdated ‘grandpa’ name.

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• “Today, parents make a conscious effort to avoid current presidential and vice presidential names,” — Sophie Kihm, Nameberry editor-in-chief

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• “Overall, political names are not correlated with the popularity of political figures, at least not in this day and age,” — Sophie Kihm, Nameberry editor-in-chief

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• “The primary reason Donald is falling in popularity is because it’s an outdated ‘grandpa’ name, rather than his low approval ratings.” — Sophie Kihm, Nameberry editor-in-chief

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• “Choosing a name like Barron signals alignment without shouting.” — Taylor Humphrey, baby-name consultant

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Naming experts expect ‘Donald’ to keep declining unless broader cultural shifts revive interest in classic names. The rising use of ‘Barron’ may reinforce a preference for newer, politically neutral options among parents seeking contemporary appeal.

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