Find out how popular the last name O'Donald 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'Donald.

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

Popularity of O'Donald in America

O'Donald is the 37076th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Donald surname appeared 602 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'Donald.

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

The surname ODONALD has its origins in Ireland, where it is believed to have emerged around the 12th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic "Ó Domhnaill," which means "descendant of Domhnall." Domhnall was a common personal name in medieval Ireland, derived from the Old Irish words "domun," meaning "world," and "val," meaning "ruler."

The ODONALD name is associated with the powerful Clan Donald, one of the largest Scottish clans with roots in the Western Isles and the Highlands. The clan's progenitor is believed to be Somerled, a 12th-century king of the Isles. The ODONALD name was later anglicized from its original Gaelic form.

In historical records, the ODONALD name can be found in various forms, such as O'Donnell, O'Donell, and O'Donill. One of the earliest known references to the name is in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a Domhnall Ua Néill in the year 1091.

One of the most notable figures in ODONALD history is Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill (c. 1572-1628), known as Red Hugh O'Donnell. He was an Irish chieftain and one of the principal leaders of the Irish rebels during the Nine Years' War against English rule in Ireland.

Another prominent ODONALD was Niall Garve O'Donnell (c. 1569-1626), who was the last inaugurated chief of the Clan O'Donnell. He played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s.

In Scotland, the ODONALDs were closely associated with the Lords of the Isles, a powerful maritime dynasty that ruled over parts of the Scottish Highlands and Islands. One notable figure was John of Islay, Lord of the Isles (c. 1337-1386), who was also known as John MacDonald or John O'Donnell.

The ODONALD name has also been linked to various place names, such as Donegal in Ireland, which is believed to derive from the Gaelic "Dún na nGall," meaning "fort of the foreigners." The town of Banagher in County Derry, Ireland, was once known as Banagher O'Donnell, reflecting the clan's influence in the area.

Other notable individuals with the ODONALD surname include Daniel O'Donnell (born 1961), an Irish singer and philanthropist; Martin O'Donnell (born 1955), an American composer known for his work on the Halo video game series; and Rosie O'Donnell (born 1962), an American comedian, actress, and television personality.

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

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

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'Donald 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'Donald 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'Donald 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'Donald, please contact us.

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