Don

Don is a traditional short form of Donald, which comes from Scottish Gaelic Dòmhnall. The older elements refer to the world and ruling, giving the conventional interpretation “ruler of the world.” Don can preserve that Scottish name connection even when it is used as the full registered name.

The same spelling is also a title of respect in Spanish and Italian, but that title has a separate linguistic history. In fiction, Don Draper from Mad Men gives the name a recognizable mid-century American association. Donnie and Donny are other familiar forms of Donald; they add a second syllable while Don keeps the shortest version of the family name.