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 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.
Donatello
Speaking of cartoons – how about the Chippettes who debuted in 1983: Brittany, Eleanore, Jeanette. Not knowing of this cartoon, I named my daughter the very rare name of Brittany in 1986. It soon became the number one name for girls, much to my distress! It was so ridiculously popular that the soon released Disney movie “Hercules” had the line “Remember, like, a few years ago, every other boy was named Jason, and the girls were all named Brittany”? LOL!
Haha, what a story. :)