Find out how popular the last name Danaher is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Danaher.

Danaher, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Danaher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Danaher in America

Danaher is the 16179th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Danaher surname appeared 1,786 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Danaher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Danaher to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Danaher

The surname Danaher originated in Ireland, derived from the Gaelic Ó Dánachair, meaning "descendant of Dánachar." The name Dánachar is a combination of the Irish words "dána" meaning "bold" or "defiant," and "char" meaning "beloved" or "friend." This suggests that the name originally referred to a bold or courageous individual.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to County Kilkenny in the 12th century. In ancient Irish manuscripts, the name was often spelled as Ó Dánachair, Ó Dánaghair, or Ó Dánaghir. The anglicized version, Danaher, emerged in the 16th century when English rule became more prevalent in Ireland.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Dánachar Ó Dánachair, a prominent Irish poet who lived in the late 12th century. His works are preserved in several ancient manuscripts, including the Book of Leinster and the Book of Ballymote.

In the 14th century, the Danaher family was closely associated with the territory of Idough in County Kilkenny. Records from this time mention Tadhg Ó Dánachair, a influential leader of the Danaher clan in the region.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Danaher surname spread throughout Ireland, with notable bearers including:

1. Aodh Ó Dánachair (c. 1550-1620), a renowned Irish historian and poet.
2. Séamus Danaher (c. 1610-1680), a notable landowner in County Tipperary.
3. Caitríona Danaher (c. 1650-1720), a celebrated traditional Irish healer and herbalist from County Kilkenny.

In the 18th century, the Danaher name gained prominence in County Waterford, where they were closely associated with the town of Dungarvan. One notable figure from this era was Seán Danaher (1725-1798), a respected farmer and community leader.

Another significant figure was Tadhg Danaher (1790-1865), a prolific Irish poet and storyteller from County Kilkenny. His works helped preserve many traditional Irish tales and folklore, and he was highly regarded during his lifetime.

As the Danaher surname spread throughout Ireland and beyond, it has been carried by numerous notable individuals throughout history, contributing to the rich cultural tapestry of the Irish diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Danaher

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Danaher.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Danaher was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Danaher has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Danaher was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Danaher, please contact us.

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