Donya is a feminine given name, particularly in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

and

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

. In

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

"Donya" (دنیا) means "world" or "earth." In Persian literature, Donya is mentioned in the works of famous poets like Rumi and Hafez. In some

Slavic countries The Slavs or Slavic people are groups of people who speak Slavic languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout the northern parts of Eurasia; they predominantly inhabit Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, and No ...

, such as

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

and

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

, "Donya" (Доня) is a diminutive form of names like "Donata" or "Donka," meaning "gift" or "generous." In Hebrew, the name Donya (דוניה) is derived from the name Adonia (אדוניה), meaning "my Lord" or "God is my Lord". Adonia is composed of two Hebrew words: "Adon," meaning "Lord" or "Master," and the suffix "-ia," indicating possession or relationship. The name Donya in Italy is derived from the Italian word "donna," meaning "lady" or "woman." This term is derived from the Latin word "domina," signifying a woman of high social status or a lady of the house. The name gained popularity during the

Renaissance period The Renaissance ( , ) is a period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and surpass the ideas ...

, particularly in the southern region of

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

. The name Donya also dates back to the Russian name Avdotya, a version of the Greek Eudokia. Eudokia comes from the word “eudokeo,” which translates to “well-pleased” or “satisfied.” It comes from the terms “eu” and “dokeo.” “Eu” means “good,” and “dokeo” means “to think,” “to imagine,” or “to suppose.”

Popularity

In the United States, the name Donya experienced its peak popularity in 2002 when it was given to 57 in every million births. However, in 2021, only 19 baby girls were named Donya. It was ranked as the 3755th most popular name in 2000 but dropped significantly to 8143 by 2023.

Given name

* Donya Aziz, Pakistani politician * Donya Fannizadeh (1967–2016), Iranian puppeteer *

Donya Feuer Donya Feuer (31 October 1934 – 6 November 2011) was an American dancer, choreographer and a pioneer of modern dance. She was also a theater director and filmmaker, and a long-time collaborator with director Ingmar Bergman. Life and career Feu ...

(1934–2011), American dancer * Donya Salomon-Ali (born 1993), Canadian-born Haitian footballer * Donya Tesoro (born 1991), Filipina politician *

Donya Dadrasan Donya Dadrasan (born 15 March 1998) is an Iranian singer. Early life Dadrasan was born on 15 March 1998 in Punak, Tehran. At the age of 7, she appeared in the series ''Khat Sefid'', a work by the Iranian Children and Youth Group, and in a sho ...

(born 1998), Iranian singer * Donya Fiorentino, American model, sister of actress

Linda Fiorentino Clorinda "Linda" Fiorentino (born March 9, 1958) is an American actress. Fiorentino made her screen debut with a leading role in the 1985 coming-of-age drama film ''Vision Quest'', followed that same year with another lead role in the action fil ...

and third wife of

Gary Oldman Sir Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Gary Oldman, various accolades, including an Academ ...

* Dr. Donya L. Sartor, former mayor of Jonesboro, Georgia

Fictional characters

*Donya, one of the major characters in the 2017 movie Tehran Taboo

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Donya Feminine given names