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

Donahoo, 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 Donahoo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Donahoo in America

Donahoo is the 20565th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Donahoo surname appeared 1,289 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Donahoo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Donahoo 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 Donahoo

The surname Donahoo is of Irish origin, and its roots can be traced back to the early medieval period in Ireland. The name is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words "donn" meaning brown or dark, and "athchu" meaning hound or wolfhound. Together, these words formed the personal name Donnchadh or Donnchadha, which later evolved into various anglicized forms such as Donahoe, Donahue, and Donahoo.

The name was particularly prevalent in counties Cork and Kerry, where it was associated with several prominent families. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of Irish history dating back to the 12th century, which mentions a Donnchad mac Briain who was the King of Munster in the late 11th century.

In the 14th century, the Donahoo family was well-established in the barony of Muskerry, County Cork. A notable member of this family was Donal Donahoo, who was granted lands in the area by the Earl of Desmond in the late 15th century. The family's influence in the region continued throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, with several members holding positions of importance.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the Donahoo spelling can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Elizabeth I, which document royal grants and letters patent issued during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England. In these records, there is a reference to a John Donahoo who was granted lands in County Cork in 1586.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the Donahoo surname. One such person was Patrick Donahoo (c. 1670-1745), an Irish Jacobite soldier who fought in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 and later settled in France after the defeat of the Jacobite cause.

Another prominent figure was John Donahoo (1752-1828), an Irish-born American soldier who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was present at several key battles, including the Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Yorktown.

In the 19th century, James Donahoo (1810-1892) was a notable Irish-American politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts State Senate and the Boston Common Council. He was also a successful businessman and philanthropist.

Mary Donahoo (1845-1909) was an Irish-born American educator and author who published several books on Irish history and culture, including "The Story of Ireland" and "Irish Fairy Tales." She was also a vocal advocate for Irish independence and women's rights.

Finally, Thomas Donahoo (1882-1958) was an American baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Braves in the early 20th century. He played as an outfielder and was known for his exceptional defensive skills.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Donahoo

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

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

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

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