2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Donlea
An anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Donnchadha meaning descendant of Donnchadh.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Donlea. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Donlea surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Donlea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Donlea, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Donlea
The surname "DONLEA" is believed to have originated in Ireland, specifically in the province of Connacht. It is thought to be an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Dónlaidhe," which means "descendant of Dónlaidhe," a personal name derived from the words "dón" (brown) and "laidhe" (layman or cleric).
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 16th century in County Mayo and surrounding areas. In the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century, there are references to several individuals with the surname Ó Dónlaidhe or similar spellings.
One notable figure from the 16th century was Feardorcha Ó Dónlaidhe, a poet and historian who lived in County Sligo. He is believed to have been born around 1530 and is known for his works on Irish genealogy and history.
In the 17th century, the Donleas were prominent landowners in County Mayo, with several members of the family holding significant estates and positions of authority. One example is Myles Donlea, who was born around 1620 and served as a member of the Irish Parliament in the late 1600s.
As the name spread beyond Ireland, it underwent various spelling changes, including Donlea, Donlevy, Dunleavy, and Dunlevy. These variations can be found in historical records across Europe and North America, particularly in areas with large Irish immigrant populations.
Another notable figure with the surname Donlea was Michael Donlea, an Irish-American politician who served as the Mayor of Rochester, New York, in the late 19th century. He was born in 1844 and held office from 1892 to 1900.
In the literary world, Joseph Donlea (1867-1932) was an American author and journalist who wrote several books on Irish history and culture, including "Leaves from an Old Cork Almanac" and "The Slemish Bards."
The surname "DONLEA" has a rich historical lineage, with roots dating back to medieval Ireland and a legacy that spans centuries and continents. While the name has undergone various spelling changes over time, its Irish origins and connection to County Mayo remain a significant part of its heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Donlea
Among Census respondents with the surname Donlea, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Donlea bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Donlea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino7.9% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Donlea
Donlea appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 5,705 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 5,705 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Donlea surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #160,975 | #155,270 | 3.5% |
| Count | 100 | 101 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Donlea bearers went from 100 to 101 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 5,705 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #155,270.
FAQ
Donlea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Donlea?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Donlea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Donlea?
Donlea ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Donlea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Donlea.
Has Donlea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Donlea went from 100 recorded bearers to 101. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Donlea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Donlea, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Donlea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Donlea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (7.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Donlea (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Donlea mean?
An anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Donnchadha meaning descendant of Donnchadh. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Donlea (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Donlea?
Want to know how many people have the surname Donlea? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.