A diminutive of the male given names Donald, Donovan, and Gordon.
The bill, which lawmakers approved in a 211-206 vote, now moves to the Republican-led Senate for consideration. One Republican, Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, voted with Democrats Thursday against the measure. 2025 May 8, Veronica Stracqualursi and Sarah Ferris, “House passes GOP-led bill to rename Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America”, in CNN:
Borrowed from Russian and Ukrainian Дон (Don). Known in Ancient Greece and Rome as Latin Tanais, Ancient Greek Τάναϊς (Tánaïs).
Meanings
A river, the fifth-longest in Europe, in Tula, Lipetsk, Voronezh, Volgograd and Rostov Oblasts, Russia, flowing 1160 miles to the Sea of Azov.
Thence they marched againſt Orna, a Port Towne on the Riuer Don, where were many Gazarians, Alanians, Ruſſians, and Saracens, which he drowned with the Riuer running through the Citie, turning it out of the chanell. 1613, Samuel Purchas, “[Asia.] Of the Tartarians, and of diuers Nations which they subdued; with their Pristine Rites.”, in Purchas His Pilgrimage. Or Relations of the World and the Religions Observed in All Ages and Places Discouered, from the Creation vnto this Present. […], London: […] William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone, […], →OCLC, book IV (Of the Armenians, Medes, Persians, Parthians, Scythians, Tartarians, Chinois, and of Their Religions), page 339:
xal Тең (river in European Russia) · bg Дон (river in European Russia) · pt Don (river in European Russia) · inh Та́на (river in European Russia) · nog Тен (river in European Russia) · hi दोन (river in European Russia) · ru Дон (river in European Russia) · el Ντον (river in European Russia) · grc Τάναϊς (river in European Russia) · uk Дон (river in European Russia) · la Tanais (river in European Russia) · kbd Тэн (river in European Russia) · mk Дон (river in European Russia) · ko 돈 강 (river in European Russia) · tt Тын (river in European Russia) · cmn 頓河 /顿河 (river in European Russia) · hy Դոն (river in European Russia) · xwo ᡐᡄᡊ (river in European Russia) · ka დონი (river in European Russia) · be Дон (river in European Russia) · pl Don (river in European Russia) · cv Тан (river in European Russia) · ja ドン川 (river in European Russia) · de Don (river in European Russia) · vi sông Đông (river in European Russia) · cs Don (river in European Russia) · fa دن (river in European Russia) · sga Dánaïm (river in European Russia) · nl Don (river in European Russia) · fi Don (river in European Russia)
Probably from the common Celtic river name Proto-Celtic *Dānu << Proto-Indo-European *dʰenh₂-, found in many other river names such as Danube, and Dniester. Connected with the Welsh river goddess Dôn, whose name is from the same origin, though it could have been influenced by Welsh dawn (“gift”), Irish dán (“gift, offering”), Latin dōnum.
Meanings
A river in Aberdeenshire council area, Scotland, United Kingdom, flowing 62 miles to the North Sea at Aberdeen.
A river in South Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom, on which Doncaster is situated.
A minor river in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom, which joins the Tyne at Jarrow.
A river in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, named after the River Don in Yorkshire.
A locality in the City of Devonport, Tasmania, Australia.
* As an English and Scottish surname, variant of Dunn.
* Also as an English and Scottish surname, from Dun, a place in Scotland.
* As an Italian surname, variant of Dono, shortened from dono di Dio (“gift of God”).
* As a Galician surname, from a nickname derived from don (“kindness, favor”).
* As a Hungarian surname, variant of Donát, Donath.
* As a French surname of Germanic origin, from the old name Dodo, related to Dodier, from the name Dodhari, the first element a reduplicated word of arbitrary origin and the second from *hari (“army”).
* Also as a French surname, from the place Don in Nord.
* As a Jewish surname, from a variant of Dan.
* As a Chinese surname, Romanized from 曾, see Zeng.
* As a Vietnamese surname Đôn, possibly from Chinese 敦, see Dun.