Donnel is of Irish origin, derived from the ancient Gaelic personal name Domhnall, which consists of two elements: 'domhu', meaning 'world', and '-naill', a diminutive suffix meaning 'like'. This results in a name that translates to 'rules the world' or 'strength of the world'. Spelling variants include Donnell, Donal, and Dunnell. The name has been popular among the Irish aristocracy for centuries, with numerous notable figures sharing this name throughout history.
The name Donnel experienced varied popularity between 1960 and 1980, with a total of 47 births recorded during this period. The peak years were 1960 with 9 births, followed by 1968 with 7 births. However, from 1963 onwards, the number of annual births consistently fluctuated between 5 and 6 until 1980.