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

Donham, 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 Donham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Donham in America

Donham is the 24159th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Donham surname appeared 1,041 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 Donham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Donham 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 Donham

The surname DONHAM has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "dun" meaning a hill or low ridge, and "ham" meaning a homestead or village. This suggests that the name was originally used to identify someone who lived in a village or settlement located on a hill or ridge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DONHAM can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1196, where a person named William de Dunham is mentioned. The "de" prefix was commonly used in medieval times to indicate a place of origin or residence.

In the 13th century, the name DONHAM appeared in various forms such as Dunham, Donham, and Doneham in various records and documents across England. For instance, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a Richard de Dunham in Oxfordshire, while the Subsidy Rolls of 1332 list a John Doneham in Somerset.

The DONHAM surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Dunham in Norfolk, Dunham-on-the-Hill in Cheshire, and Dunham Massey in Greater Manchester. These place names likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Notable individuals with the surname DONHAM include:

1. John Donham (c. 1520 - 1586), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Malmesbury in 1555.
2. Thomas Donham (c. 1580 - 1654), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Rector of Ludgershall in Wiltshire.
3. William Donham (c. 1630 - 1698), an English colonist who settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony and was one of the founders of the town of Taunton.
4. Samuel Donham (1694 - 1771), an American farmer and landowner who served as a selectman in the town of Billerica, Massachusetts.
5. Robert Donham (1788 - 1852), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Wesleyan Central Hall.

While the DONHAM surname is not among the most common in England or the United States, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and is associated with various locations and notable individuals throughout its evolution.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Donham

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

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

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

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