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

Donawa, 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 Donawa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Donawa in America

Donawa is the 85049th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Donawa surname appeared 220 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 Donawa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Donawa 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 Donawa

The surname "DONAWA" is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages, derived from the Old English words "dun" meaning "hill" and "awa" meaning "stream" or "river." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a stream flowing down a hill or a similar geographical feature.

The earliest known record of the surname "DONAWA" dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, England, as "de Donawa." This early spelling variation indicates that the name was originally a locational surname, referring to a specific place called "Donawa."

One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the surname "DONAWA" was Sir William Donawa, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century. He was recorded as a landowner in the county of Wiltshire, where the name may have originated.

In the 15th century, the name "DONAWA" appeared in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence between members of the influential Paston family in Norfolk, England. This suggests that the surname had spread to other regions of the country by that time.

During the Tudor period, a notable figure with the surname "DONAWA" was John Donawa, a merchant and alderman who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1532. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and contributed to the construction of several churches in the city.

Another prominent individual with the surname "DONAWA" was Sir Thomas Donawa (1548-1622), a statesman and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He served as the High Sheriff of Gloucestershire and was knighted for his services to the crown.

In the 17th century, the name "DONAWA" appeared in the records of the Virginia Company, which oversaw the colonization of Virginia in the early days of the British Empire. This suggests that some individuals with this surname may have been among the early settlers in the American colonies.

As the centuries passed, the spelling of the surname likely evolved, with variations such as "Donaway," "Dunaway," and "Dunawaye" appearing in various records. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in the Old English words describing a geographical feature related to a hill and a stream.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Donawa

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

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

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

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