2000
#13,496
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,066
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Donoho
Derived from the Irish surname Donohoe, meaning "descendant of Donnchadh" (brown-haired warrior).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,296 Americans carry the last name Donoho. That puts it at #14,377 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,283 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Donoho 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
2.3K
1 in 149,283
Census rank
#14,377
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,002 bearers of the surname Donoho in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14377th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Donoho, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Donoho
The surname Donoho has its origins in Ireland, tracing back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic phrase "O'Donnchadha," which means "descendant of Donnchadh." Donnchadh was a personal name that translates to "brown warrior" or "dark fighter."
In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared as O'Donnchadha or O'Donochoe. Over time, it evolved into various anglicized versions, including Donoho, Donohoe, Donohue, and Donohoo. These variations emerged as Irish families adapted their names to English pronunciation and spelling conventions.
The Donoho surname has historical references in various Irish records and manuscripts. One notable mention is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention several individuals with the surname, including Donnchadh O'Donnchadha, who was a prominent bard and poet in the 14th century.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Donoho surname was Donnchad O'Donnchadha, born around 1550 in County Cork, Ireland. He was a member of the influential O'Donnchadha clan, which held significant influence in the region.
In the 18th century, the Donoho surname gained prominence with the birth of Patrick Donoho (1720-1790), a notable Irish landowner and farmer from County Tipperary. His descendants played a role in the Irish Rebellion of 1798, fighting against British rule.
Another notable figure was John Donoho (1784-1858), an Irish-American politician and lawyer. He served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and was instrumental in the establishment of several educational institutions in the state.
In the 19th century, the surname gained recognition in the literary world with the birth of Thomas Donoho (1825-1892), an Irish-American writer and journalist. He published several works, including a collection of poems and a novel depicting life in rural Ireland.
One of the most famous individuals with the Donoho surname was Mary Donoho (1880-1962), an American philanthropist and social activist. She dedicated her life to improving the lives of underprivileged children and founded the Donoho School in Alabama, which still operates today.
While the Donoho surname has its roots in Ireland, it has spread across the globe, with descendants found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Donoho
Among Census respondents with the surname Donoho, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Donoho 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 Donoho surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 1,807
- Two or more races3.8% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 55
- Black or African American1.5% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Donoho
Donoho 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
#14,084
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,135
+69 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 588 places
2020
#14,377
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,002
-133 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 293 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,496 | 2,066 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,084 | 2,135 | 0.72 | +69 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 588 places |
| 2020 | #14,377 | 2,002 | 0.67 | -133 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 293 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 Donoho 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 | #14,084 | #14,377 | -2.1% |
| Count | 2,135 | 2,002 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.67 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Donoho bearers went from 2,135 to 2,002 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 293 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,084 to #14,377.
FAQ
Donoho surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Donoho?
Name Census estimates that about 2,296 living Americans carry the surname Donoho. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,283 residents.
How common is Donoho?
Donoho ranks #14,377 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 2,002 people with the surname Donoho. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,296), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Donoho.
Has Donoho become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Donoho went from 2,135 recorded bearers to 2,002. That is a decrease of 133 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,084 to #14,377.
What does the Census say about the background of Donoho?
Among Census respondents with the surname Donoho, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (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 Donoho in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (1,807 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Donoho appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (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 Donoho (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 Donoho mean?
Derived from the Irish surname Donohoe, meaning "descendant of Donnchadh" (brown-haired warrior). 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 Donoho (0.67 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 many people have the last name Donoho?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Donoho on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.