Donna (given name)

DonnaPronunciation| /ˈdɒnə/;
Italian: [ˈdɔnna]

|

Gender| Female
Language(s)| English
Origin
Language(s)| Italian
Derivation| Latin: domina
Meaning| 'lady'

Donna[1] is an English-language feminine first name meaning 'woman' in modern Italian, and 'lady' or 'mistress' in classical Italian.[2] The original meaning is closer to 'lady of the home' and was a title of respect in Italy, equivalent to Don[2] for gentlemen or lord. It is a common given name in the United States, particularly in Chicago, Florida, New York City, and Washington.[citation needed] It is rare as a surname.[citation needed]

## People with the given name

[edit]

* Donna Air (born 1979), English actress
* Donna Alvermann, American educator and researcher
* Donna Andrews, American author
* Donna Axum (1942–2018), American beauty pageant winner, author, television executive producer, philanthropist and model
* Donna Baird, American epidemiologist and evolutionary-population biologist
* Donna Barnes, American politician
* Donna J. Boley (born 1935), American politician
* Donna Brazile, American political activist
* Donna Bruton (1954–2012), American painter, educator
* Donna Burke, Australian singer, voice actress and businesswoman
* Donna Christensen (born 1945), American physician and politician
* Donna Cruz, Filipino pop singer
* Donna Deegan (born 1961), American politician
* Donna D'Errico, American actress
* Donna Dixon, American actress
* Donna Doore, American politician
* Donna Douglas, American actress
* Donna Edwards, American politician
* Donna Fargo, American country singer
* Donna M. Felling, American politician
* Donna Feore (born 1963), Canadian choreographer and theatre director
* Donna Ferrato (born 1949), American photojournalist and activist
* Donna Gabaccia (born 1949), American historian
* Donna Givens, American politician from Alabama
* Donna Gould (born 1966), Australian cyclist
* Donna Hanover (born 1950), American journalist, radio and television personality, and actress
* Donna Howard (born 1951), American politician
* Donna Haraway, American philosopher
* Donna Harpauer, Canadian politician
* Donna Hylton, Jamaican-American kidnapper and murderer
* Donna Karan, American fashion designer
* Donna Kellogg (born 1978), English badminton player
* Donna Kirkland, Australian politician
* Donna Kossy (born 1957), American writer
* Donna Leon (born 1942), American novelist
* Donna Lewis, Welsh singer
* Donna Loren (born 1947), American singer and actress, the Dr Pepper Girl in the 1960s
* Donna Maguire, Provisional Irish Republican Army member
* Donna Mayhew, American javelin thrower
* Donna McKechnie (born 1942), American actress
* Donna Mergler, Canadian physiologist
* Donna Mills, American actress who played Abby Cunningham on Knots Landing
* Donna Morrissey, Canadian author
* Donna Murphy (born 1959), American stage and film actress
* Donna Nelson (born 1954), American chemist and professor
* Donna Orender (born 1957), American Women's Pro Basketball League All-Star guard and former WNBA president
* Donna Pescow, American actress
* Donna Reed, American actress
* Donna Robertson (born 1969), Scottish judoka and wrester
* Donna Rozar (born 1950), American politician, businesswoman, and nurse
* Donna Rubin (born 1959), American tennis player
* Donna Scott-Mottley, Jamaican politician
* Donna Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton
* Donna Strickland, Canadian physicist and Nobel laureate 2018
* Donna Summer (1948–2012), American singer, notably of disco music
* Donna Tartt, American writer
* Donna Testerman (born 1960), mathematician
* Donna Vekić, Croatian tennis player
* Donna Wilkes (born 1958), American actress
* Donna Zuckerberg (born 1987), American classicist, feminist, and writer

## Fictional characters

[edit]

* Donna Bishop, character in Home and Away
* Donna Cabonna, character in That's So Raven
* Donna Duck, character in the 1937 Disney short Don Donald
* Donna Clark (née Emerson), a character in Halt and Catch Fire
* Donna Freedman, character in Neighbours
* Donna Hayward, character in Twin Peaks
* Donna Henshaw, a character in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps
* Donna Logan, character in The Bold and the Beautiful
* Donna Ludlow, character in EastEnders
* Donna Martin, character in Beverly Hills, 90210
* Donna Meagle, main character in Parks and Recreation
* Donna Moss, main character in The West Wing
* Donna Noble, character in Doctor Who
* Donna Paulsen, character in Suits
* Donna Pinciotti, character That 70s Show
* Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia!
* Donna Troy aka "Wonder Girl", character from DC Comics
* Donna Tubbs, character in The Cleveland Show
* Donna Windsor, character in Emmerdale
* Donna Yates, character in EastEnders

## See also

[edit]

* All pages with titles beginning with Donna
* All pages with titles containing Donna
* Donna (disambiguation)
* Donka (name)

Name list

This page or section lists people that share the same given name.
If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Behind the Name". Archived from the original on 2007-09-07.
2. ^ a b "Dònna - Significato ed etimologia". Vocabolario (in Italian). Treccani. 2.b (comparison with don). Retrieved 3 May 2022.