Donatus
doh-NAY-tus
A Latin Christian name meaning “given,” often understood in the spirit of a God-given gift.
Meaning
Donatus comes from the Latin participle meaning “given.” In Christian naming, it was often taken to imply a child “given by God,” which fits the 19th-century references to it as a devotional or Puritan-style name. The excerpts also note its early use among African Christians and mention St. Jerome’s tutor Donatus.
Origin
Latinmasculine
Fun fact
The name appears in early Christian history as both a bishop of Numidia and the name of St. Jerome’s tutor.
Confidence: mixed. Sources: History of Christian Names, Curiosities of Puritan Nomenclature.