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Borrowed from Russian and Ukrainian Дон (Don). Known in Ancient Greece and Rome as Latin Tanais, Ancient Greek Τάναϊς (Tánaïs).

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.

* 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.

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dem- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *dṓmder.? Proto-Italic *domVnos Latin dominusder. English don From Latin dominus (“lord, head of household”), akin to Italian don, Sicilian don, Spanish don; from domus (“house”). Doublet of dom, domine, dominie, and dominus.

From Middle English don (“to put on”), from Old English dōn on; equivalent to do + on. Compare also doff, dup, dout.

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma.