How popular is the baby name Michaelangelo in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Michaelangelo.

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Popularity of the baby name Michaelangelo


Posts that mention the name Michaelangelo

Where did the baby name Donatello come from in 1990?

The character Donatello from the animated TV show "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (1987-1996).
Donatello from “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The Italian name Donatello debuted in the U.S. baby name data in 1990:

  • 1992: unlisted
  • 1991: 11 boys named Donatello
  • 1990: 12 boys named Donatello [debut]
  • 1989: unlisted
  • 1988: unlisted

If you were a TV-watching kid during those years, you already know what inspired this one: the brainy, purple-masked, bo staff-wielding turtle Donatello from the cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987-1996).

Turtle-mania peaked during the late ’80s and early ’90s, and if you look at the three other Ninja Turtle names — Leonardo, Michaelangelo*, and Raphael — you’ll see that each of them saw higher usage during this period. (All four turtles were named after Renaissance artists.)

The characters Donatello, Michaelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael from the animated TV show "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (1987-1996).
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The name Donatello is a diminutive of Donato, which comes from the Latin name Donatus, meaning “given.”

And now, the important question of all: who’s your favorite Ninja Turtle?

Sources: SSA, Donato – Behind the Name

*These days, Michaelangelo’s name is spelled more traditionally (“Michelangelo”) within the TMNT franchise.