2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Donnachie
A Scottish surname derived from a Gaelic personal name meaning "brown" or "brown-haired person".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Donnachie. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Donnachie 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Donnachie with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Donnachie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Donnachie, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Donnachie
The surname Donnachie has its roots in Scotland, where it emerged in the 13th century. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic words "dòmhnach," meaning Sunday, and "naomh," meaning sacred or holy. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who attended church services or religious ceremonies on Sundays.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, where a person named Johannes Dunnachy is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the surname over time.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Donnachie was particularly concentrated in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles of Scotland. It was also found in the Scottish Borders and other parts of the country.
In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name was Archibald Donnachie, a landowner and farmer from the Isle of Islay. His son, Angus Donnachie, was a respected elder in the local Presbyterian church in the late 1600s.
The name Donnachie can be linked to several place names in Scotland, such as Dunnachie in Aberdeenshire and Dunnachie Hill in Argyll. These locations likely derived their names from individuals bearing the surname Donnachie who lived or owned land in those areas.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure with this surname was Robert Donnachie, a merchant and ship owner from Glasgow, born in 1734 and died in 1802. He played a significant role in the city's thriving trade with the West Indies during that period.
Another notable bearer of the name was John Donnachie, a Scottish poet and writer from Ayrshire, born in 1819 and died in 1892. He published several volumes of poetry celebrating the landscapes and culture of his home region.
In the 19th century, the Donnachie surname also gained recognition through individuals like William Donnachie, a successful businessman and philanthropist from Edinburgh, born in 1842 and died in 1917. He made significant contributions to various charitable causes and institutions in the city.
While the surname Donnachie is relatively uncommon today, it maintains a strong connection to its Scottish heritage and the historical significance of its bearers across various walks of life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Donnachie
Among Census respondents with the surname Donnachie, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Donnachie 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 Donnachie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Donnachie
Donnachie appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+11 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,631 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-9 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 1,631 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 9,289 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 Donnachie 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 | #140,157 | #149,446 | -6.6% |
| Count | 119 | 110 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Donnachie bearers went from 119 to 110 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 9,289 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #149,446.
FAQ
Donnachie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Donnachie?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Donnachie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Donnachie?
Donnachie ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 110 people with the surname Donnachie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Donnachie.
Has Donnachie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Donnachie went from 119 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Donnachie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Donnachie, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Donnachie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Donnachie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Hispanic (6.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Donnachie (2000, 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 Donnachie mean?
A Scottish surname derived from a Gaelic personal name meaning "brown" or "brown-haired person". 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 Donnachie (0.04 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 Donnachie?
You can see how many people are called Donnachie on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.