2000
#97,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 172
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Donelly
A variant spelling of the Irish surname Donnelly, meaning "descendant of the brown-haired one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 150 Americans carry the last name Donelly. That puts it at #133,930 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,285,029 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Donelly 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 Donelly with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
150
1 in 2,285,029
Census rank
#133,930
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
131
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 131 bearers of the surname Donelly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 133930th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Donelly, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Hispanic (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Donelly
The surname Donelly has its origins in Ireland, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "O'Donnelly" or "O'Donnghaile," meaning "descendant of Donnghal." Donnghal was a popular first name in ancient Ireland and translates to "valor" or "bravery."
The Donelly name originated in the province of Ulster, particularly in County Tyrone and County Donegal. It was first found in the Baronies of Raphoe and Kilmacrenan in County Donegal. The Donelly clan was among the most prominent families in these regions during the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Donelly name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention several notable figures with the surname, including Tuathal O'Donelly, a distinguished warrior who lived in the 13th century.
In the 16th century, the Donelly family played a significant role in the Nine Years' War (1594-1603), a conflict between the Irish chieftains and the English forces. Niall Og Donelly, born in 1560, was a prominent leader during this conflict and fought alongside the famous Red Hugh O'Donnell.
Another notable figure was Father Patrick Donelly, a Catholic priest born in County Tyrone in 1634. He was a renowned scholar and author, best known for his work "An Introduction to the Irish Language," published in 1670. This book was widely used for teaching Irish in schools and universities.
In the 18th century, the Donelly name gained recognition in the literary world with the works of Terence Donelly (1736-1804), a poet and playwright from County Donegal. His play "The Tragedy of Gustavus Vasa" was widely acclaimed and performed in theaters across Ireland and England.
During the 19th century, James Donelly (1820-1886) made significant contributions to the field of engineering. Born in County Tyrone, he designed and constructed several notable bridges and railway lines in Ireland and England, including the famous Boyne Viaduct in County Louth.
Throughout history, various spellings of the Donelly surname have been used, such as Donnelly, Donely, Donely, and Donnally. The name has also been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Donellysbrook and Donellymount, both located in County Donegal.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Donelly
Among Census respondents with the surname Donelly, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Hispanic (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Donelly 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 Donelly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.2% · 105
- Black or African American7.6% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 8
- Two or more races3.1% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Donelly
Donelly 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
-42 bearers (-24.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 32,762 places
2020
#133,930
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,320 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #97,848 | 172 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | -42 bearers (-24.4%) | Down 32,762 places |
| 2020 | #133,930 | 131 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 3,320 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 Donelly 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 | #130,610 | #133,930 | -2.5% |
| Count | 130 | 131 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Donelly bearers went from 130 to 131 (+0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,320 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #133,930.
FAQ
Donelly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Donelly?
Name Census estimates that about 150 living Americans carry the surname Donelly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,285,029 residents.
How common is Donelly?
Donelly ranks #133,930 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 131 people with the surname Donelly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (150), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Donelly.
Has Donelly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Donelly went from 130 recorded bearers to 131. That is an increase of 1 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #133,930.
What does the Census say about the background of Donelly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Donelly, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Hispanic (6.1%). 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 Donelly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.2% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Donelly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.2%), Black (7.6%), Hispanic (6.1%). 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 Donelly (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 Donelly mean?
A variant spelling of the Irish surname Donnelly, meaning "descendant of the brown-haired one." 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 Donelly (0.04 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 Donelly?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Donelly on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.