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

Donaghy, 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 Donaghy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Donaghy in America

Donaghy is the 15669th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Donaghy surname appeared 1,863 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 Donaghy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Donaghy 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 Donaghy

The surname Donaghy has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "O'Donnchadha," which translates to "descendant of Donnchadh." Donnchadh was a popular given name in Ireland, meaning "brown warrior" or "chief of the brown people."

The name is thought to have originated in the ancient territory of Munster, particularly in the counties of Cork and Kerry. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in Irish annals and manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries, where it was often spelled as "O'Donoghue" or "O'Donoughoe."

One notable historical reference to the Donaghy name is found in the Annals of Innisfallen, a chronicle compiled by Irish monks in the 13th century. The annals mention several individuals bearing the name, including Donchadh Ó Donnchadha, who was the chieftain of the Clann Donnchadha, a prominent Irish clan in the region.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Donaghy surname became more widespread across Ireland, with families bearing the name settling in various counties, such as Tyrone, Armagh, and Antrim. Some notable individuals from this period include:

1. Donough O'Donaghy (c. 1590-1660), an Irish poet and chronicler from County Cork.
2. Rory Donaghy (c. 1620-1690), a prominent landowner and member of the Irish Parliament, representing County Tyrone.

As the centuries progressed, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Donaghey, Donaghy, Donoughey, and Donohoe. Some notable figures from more recent history include:

1. John Donaghy (1839-1920), an Irish-American politician who served as the Mayor of Richmond, Virginia.
2. Mary Donaghy (1878-1958), an Irish-American actress and vaudeville performer known for her comedic roles.
3. William Donaghy (1895-1973), an American baseball player who played for the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox in the 1920s.
4. Timothy Donaghy (born 1967), a former professional basketball referee in the NBA, who was involved in a gambling scandal in 2007.
5. Bronagh Donaghy (born 1982), an Irish actress known for her roles in television shows like "Call the Midwife" and "Derry Girls."

While the Donaghy surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish emigration to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Donaghy

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

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 Donaghy 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 Donaghy 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 Donaghy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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