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

O'Doherty, 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 O'Doherty surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Doherty in America

O'Doherty is the 28065th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Doherty surname appeared 853 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 O'Doherty.

We can also compare 2010 data for O'Doherty 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 O'Doherty

The surname ODOHERTY originated in Ireland during the Middle Ages. It is an Anglicized version of the Old Gaelic name Ó Dochartaigh, which means "descendant of Dochartach." The name Dochartach is derived from the Irish words "dochoir," meaning "ill-luck," and "art," meaning "bear."

ODOHERTY was initially concentrated in County Donegal, located in the northwestern region of Ireland. The family was part of the Cenél Conaill dynasty that ruled over the area from the 5th to the 12th century. They were among the most prominent clans in Donegal during this period.

Some of the earliest recorded mentions of the ODOHERTY name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. For instance, the annals mention an individual named Domhnall Ó Dochartaigh, who was the Chief of Inishowen in County Donegal in the year 1257.

In the 16th century, the ODOHERTY clan played a significant role in the Nine Years' War (1593-1603), a prolonged conflict between the Gaelic Irish chieftains and the English forces seeking to establish control over Ulster. One notable figure from this era was Sir Cahir O'Doherty, who was born around 1587 and led a rebellion against the English in 1608, known as O'Doherty's Rebellion.

Another prominent individual with the ODOHERTY surname was Kevin Izod O'Doherty (1823-1905), an Irish poet and writer who was born in County Dublin. He was a member of the Young Ireland movement and authored several works, including "The Poets and Poetry of Munster" and "The Feud of the Towns."

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the ODOHERTY name gained recognition in the field of medicine. One such figure was Dr. Robert O'Doherty (1868-1938), an Irish physician who specialized in tropical diseases and served as the President of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland from 1934 to 1938.

Additionally, the ODOHERTY name has been associated with various place names in County Donegal, such as Ballydoherty and Cregdoherty, which reflect the family's historical presence and influence in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Doherty

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Doherty.

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 O'Doherty 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 O'Doherty 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 O'Doherty was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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