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

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

Popularity of O'Donnell in America

O'Donnell is the 795th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Donnell surname appeared 43,460 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 15 people would have the surname O'Donnell.

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

The surname O'Donnell is of Irish origin and dates back to the 12th century. It originated in County Donegal, located in the northern part of Ireland. The name is derived from the Gaelic Ó Dónaill, which means "descendant of Dónall" or "son of Dónall."

O'Donnell was the name of a powerful clan that ruled over a large territory in County Donegal for several centuries. The clan's influence extended beyond Donegal, and they played a significant role in Irish history. One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history.

In the 14th century, Niall Óg O'Donnell (c. 1286-1368) was a prominent member of the O'Donnell clan and served as the King of Tír Conaill (Donegal). He was known for his military prowess and his involvement in conflicts with neighboring clans.

Another notable figure was Red Hugh O'Donnell (c. 1572-1602), an Irish chieftain and one of the leaders of the Nine Years' War against English rule in Ireland. He is celebrated for his daring escape from Dublin Castle and his efforts to resist the English conquest of Ireland.

In the 17th century, Rory O'Donnell (c. 1575-1608) was a prominent Irish nobleman and military commander. He fought alongside Red Hugh O'Donnell in the Nine Years' War and later fled Ireland during the Flight of the Earls in 1607.

The name O'Donnell has also been associated with various place names in County Donegal, such as Donegal Town, Ballyshannon, and Killybegs. These places were once part of the O'Donnell clan's territory and bear witness to their historical influence in the region.

Other notable figures with the surname O'Donnell include Patrick O'Donnell (1856-1927), an Irish nationalist and Member of Parliament, and Peadar O'Donnell (1893-1986), an Irish socialist and writer who was part of the Irish Republican Army during the Irish Revolutionary period.

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

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

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'Donnell 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'Donnell 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'Donnell 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'Donnell, please contact us.

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