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

Dondero, 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 Dondero surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dondero in America

Dondero is the 22113th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dondero surname appeared 1,170 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 Dondero.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dondero 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 Dondero

The surname Dondero originated from the Italian language. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "donderus," which means "bell." The name first appeared in the northern regions of Italy, particularly in the areas around Milan and Genoa, during the 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Dondero name can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of medieval documents from the Lombardy region, dated around 1150. This document refers to a certain "Petrus Donderus," who was likely a bell maker or a person associated with the trade of bells.

During the 13th century, the Dondero family established itself in the city of Genoa, where they held influential positions within the local government and merchant guilds. Historical records from this period, such as the Annali Genovesi, mention several members of the Dondero family, including Oberto Dondero, a prominent merchant and diplomat who lived from 1225 to 1292.

As the name spread throughout Italy, it also underwent various spelling variations, including Donderi, Dondari, and Dondori. One notable individual bearing this surname was Girolamo Dondori (1497-1559), a renowned humanist scholar and philosopher from Padua, who wrote extensively on topics such as logic, ethics, and metaphysics.

In the 16th century, the Dondero name made its way to other parts of Europe, particularly France and Spain. Pierre Dondero (1530-1605), a French merchant and explorer, is recorded as one of the first to establish trade routes between France and the newly discovered Americas.

Another notable figure was Rodrigo Dondero (1570-1635), a Spanish military commander who served under King Philip III during the Thirty Years' War. He played a significant role in several battles against the Protestant forces and was later awarded the title of Marquis de Villaverde for his valiant service.

As the centuries passed, the Dondero name continued to spread across Europe and eventually reached other parts of the world through migration and exploration. Some individuals bearing this surname include Antonio Dondero (1775-1842), an Italian painter and engraver known for his religious works, and José Dondero (1825-1890), a Chilean politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the late 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dondero

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

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

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

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