2000
#728
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 42,802
First available Census row
Per 100,000 15.87
Uncommon Last name
Odonnell
A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Domhnall," a personal name meaning "world ruler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 49,154 Americans carry the last name Odonnell. That puts it at #784 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 14.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,973 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Odonnell 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 Odonnell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
49K
1 in 6,973
Census rank
#784
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
14.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
43K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 42,865 bearers of the surname Odonnell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 14.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 784th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Odonnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Odonnell
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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Odonnell
Among Census respondents with the surname Odonnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Odonnell 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 Odonnell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 39,666
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 1,509
- Two or more races2.4% · 1,048
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 331
- Black or African American0.5% · 217
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 94
Timeline
Historical Census data for Odonnell
Odonnell 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
#795
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 43,460
+658 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 14.73
Rank movement Down 67 places
2020
#784
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 42,865
-595 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 14.34
Rank movement Up 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #728 | 42,802 | 15.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #795 | 43,460 | 14.73 | +658 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 67 places |
| 2020 | #784 | 42,865 | 14.34 | -595 bearers (-1.4%) | Up 11 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 Odonnell 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 | #795 | #784 | 1.4% |
| Count | 43,460 | 42,865 | -1.4% |
| Per 100K | 14.73 | 14.34 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Odonnell bearers went from 43,460 to 42,865 (-1.4% change). The surname moved up 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #795 to #784.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Odonnell
FAQ
Odonnell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Odonnell?
Name Census estimates that about 49,154 living Americans carry the surname Odonnell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,973 residents.
How common is Odonnell?
Odonnell ranks #784 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 14.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 14 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 42,865 people with the surname Odonnell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (49,154), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 14.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 14.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 14 of them to have the surname Odonnell.
Has Odonnell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Odonnell went from 43,460 recorded bearers to 42,865. That is a decrease of 595 (-1.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #795 to #784.
What does the Census say about the background of Odonnell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Odonnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Odonnell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (39,666 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Odonnell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Odonnell (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 Odonnell mean?
A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Domhnall," a personal name meaning "world ruler." 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 Odonnell (14.34 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 are called Odonnell?
Find out how many people have the last name Odonnell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.