2000
#9,357
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,195
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Donoghue
A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Donnchadh," derived from the Gaelic elements "donn" (brown) and "cath" (battle).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,648 Americans carry the last name Donoghue. That puts it at #9,738 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,957 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Donoghue 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 Donoghue with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 93,957
Census rank
#9,738
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,181 bearers of the surname Donoghue in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9738th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Donoghue, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Donoghue
The surname DONOGHUE is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the ancient Gaelic name Ó Donnchadha, meaning "descendant of Donnchadh." Donnchadh was a personal name derived from the Old Irish elements "donn," meaning "brown" or "dark-featured," and "cath," meaning "battle."
This name was particularly prevalent in counties Cork and Kerry, where the Uí Donnchadha sept, or family group, was based. The name evolved over time, with various spellings such as O'Donoghue, O'Donohoe, and eventually DONOGHUE.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a medieval Irish chronicle, which mentions Donnchadh Ua Donnchadha in the year 1116. The Annals also record the death of Tadhg Ua Donnchadha, Lord of Ogueneill, in 1339.
The DONOGHUE name appears in various historical records throughout the centuries. In the 16th century, Donal O'Donoghue was the Chief of the Name and Lord of Glenflesk and Iveleary in County Kerry. Sir John O'Donoghue, born in 1805, was a prominent Irish lawyer and judge who served as Solicitor General for Ireland.
Another notable figure was John Francis O'Donohue, an Irish poet, author, and philosopher born in 1956. His works, including "Anam Cara" and "Benedictus," explored themes of spirituality, beauty, and the human experience.
In the realm of literature, Emma Donoghue, born in 1969, is a renowned Irish-Canadian author best known for her novels "Room" and "The Wonder." Her works have garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards.
Lastly, Kate O'Donoghue, born in 1966, is an Irish athlete who competed in the marathon at the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games, representing Ireland.
Throughout its history, the DONOGHUE surname has been closely tied to Irish heritage and culture, with its origins rooted in the ancient Gaelic language and traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Donoghue
Among Census respondents with the surname Donoghue, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Donoghue 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 Donoghue surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 2,928
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 118
- Two or more races2.7% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 27
- Black or African American0.4% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Donoghue
Donoghue 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
#9,810
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,300
+105 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 453 places
2020
#9,738
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,181
-119 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Up 72 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,357 | 3,195 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,810 | 3,300 | 1.12 | +105 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 453 places |
| 2020 | #9,738 | 3,181 | 1.06 | -119 bearers (-3.6%) | Up 72 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 Donoghue 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 | #9,810 | #9,738 | 0.7% |
| Count | 3,300 | 3,181 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.06 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Donoghue bearers went from 3,300 to 3,181 (-3.6% change). The surname moved up 72 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,810 to #9,738.
FAQ
Donoghue surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Donoghue?
Name Census estimates that about 3,648 living Americans carry the surname Donoghue. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,957 residents.
How common is Donoghue?
Donoghue ranks #9,738 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,181 people with the surname Donoghue. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,648), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Donoghue.
Has Donoghue become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Donoghue went from 3,300 recorded bearers to 3,181. That is a decrease of 119 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,810 to #9,738.
What does the Census say about the background of Donoghue?
Among Census respondents with the surname Donoghue, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Donoghue in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (2,928 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Donoghue appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Donoghue (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 Donoghue mean?
A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Donnchadh," derived from the Gaelic elements "donn" (brown) and "cath" (battle). 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 Donoghue (1.06 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 Donoghue?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Donoghue is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.