This might not be the most shocking news ever, but the baby name “Donald” is pretty unpopular now. Of course, the popularity of baby names changes over time. Choosing the right baby name can be a difficult decision for many parents. There are a lot of factors to consider, and the decision is personal. But this change hardly seems like a coincidence.
Because it’s not just a bit less popular than it once was. It’s actually the least popular it’s ever been, according to a new report from NOTUS. So, although the name has been declining in popularity for some time, it seems like President Donald Trump is the reason some parents are steering clear of it. (Maybe Trump has a new “achievement” to claim?)
Amid Trump’s second term, “Donald” is now the 690th most popular baby name in the U.S.
In other words, parents aren’t eager to name their kids “Donald” right now. And they might never be ready to embrace the name again. Some people who have discussed the topic on Reddit are actually wondering whether the name will ever be usable. Last year, in r/namenerds, someone posed the question, “Is the name Donald completely ruined and unusable?”
The person wrote that they had liked the name Donald, but now, Trump “is ruining the name for many.” Several commenters concluded that the name is officially “ruined” — at least for the time being.
“It was my grandfather’s name too, but it’s absolutely tarnished and unusable in the U.S. now for the foreseeable future,” one commenter wrote.
Others said they would absolutely not name a baby Donald right now, but they hold onto hope that it might be usable in the future. “If I heard of a baby being born now with that name, I’d assume hardcore MAGA,” another commenter said. “Fifty years from now, it may come back because it was a common enough name.”
The new report looked at data from the Social Security Administration.
And NOTUS found that there were fewer than 400 Social Security card applications for babies named Donald in 2025.
The name was among the top 100 names in the U.S. until 1990. In 2016, when Trump was first elected, it sat at No. 489 on the list. Now, even fewer parents are choosing this name.
So, is being named Donald embarrassing now?
While some have said they would assume that a baby named “Donald” in 2026 must have MAGA parents, there are obviously many Donalds out there who had this name long before Trump entered politics.
In another discussion on Reddit, people pointed out that there are many other famous people (and characters, like Donald Duck) named Donald, and they don’t necessarily associate the name with the current president. After all, before it became less popular, Donald was a pretty common name.
Having the last name “Trump” would be much worse, some people concluded. Even the word “trump” rubs some people the wrong way now. “He’s ruined the phrase ‘trumped’ for me,” one Redditor wrote. “Trump card, my thing trumped his, etc.”
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