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.