The Reference Desk/Hi, Question from a Fan, if you please!

Hi there! Would any of you fine folks happen to know if there is any sort of explanation of Characters' names and what their 'larger' meanings could be within the context of the whoniverse? For instance, Donna Noble is, i believe, a reference to an honorific title: Donna Nobella ( heir to a reigning title?). I think it refers to Noble Titles, though i'm a bit iffy on the hierarchy of such things~ a friend explained it as, i believe, for instance, the second daughter of a Contessa in Italian.{Donna is the feminine of Don: "don comes from a medieval styling for very esteemed persons, it is a colloquial form of Dominus - the Latin for Lord"}. I'd like to find out more about what this might mean for Donna Noble's Character in the scheme of things, as well as what references or allusions might be incorporated into other characters' names. I'm a very giddy but 'casual' fan and do not know where on the internet or in life to find this stuff out... Many Thanks in advance! S from VT