2000
#1,036
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,919
First available Census row
Per 100,000 11.46
Uncommon Last name
Donnelly
A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Domhnall," derived from the Irish Gaelic words "domhan" (world) and "all" (mighty).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 34,623 Americans carry the last name Donnelly. That puts it at #1,138 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,900 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Donnelly 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 Donnelly with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
35K
1 in 9,900
Census rank
#1,138
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
30K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 30,193 bearers of the surname Donnelly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1138th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Donnelly, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Donnelly
The surname Donnelly is of Irish origin, having its roots in the Gaelic language. It is derived from the personal name "O'Donnelly," which means "descendant of Dónaill." Dónaill, in turn, is a Gaelic form of the name Donald, which means "world mighty" or "world ruler."
The name Donnelly can be traced back to the 12th century in the region of Ulster, particularly in the counties of Tyrone and Donegal. It is believed to have originated as a sept or clan of the O'Neill dynasty, one of the most powerful and influential families in Irish history.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Donnelly can be found in the "Annals of Ulster," a historical chronicle that documents events in Ireland from the 5th to the 16th century. The Annals reference a "Donnell O'Donnelly" in the year 1211, who was described as a chieftain and leader of his clan.
In the 16th century, the Donnelly family played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars, where they supported the Catholic cause against English rule. One notable figure during this time was Phelim Donnelly, a military leader who fought alongside Owen Roe O'Neill in the battles of 1642-1649.
As the surname spread throughout Ireland, it also took on various spellings and variations, such as Donelly, Donnaly, and O'Donnelly. The name is also closely associated with the town of Ballybogan in County Tyrone, which was once a stronghold of the Donnelly clan.
In later centuries, several individuals with the surname Donnelly made notable contributions in various fields. Here are a few examples:
1. Ignatius Donnelly (1831-1901), an American politician, writer, and promoter of the "Atlantis theory," which suggested that the lost city of Atlantis was once located in the Atlantic Ocean.
2. Dorothy Donnelly (1880-1928), an American playwright and lyricist, best known for her work in Broadway musicals such as "Blossom Time" and "The Student Prince."
3. Eleanor Donnelly (1838-1917), an American philanthropist and educator, who founded the Donnelly College in Kansas City, Missouri, which was one of the first institutions of higher education for women in the region.
4. Thomas Donnelly (1887-1949), an Irish-American artist and illustrator, known for his works depicting scenes from Irish folklore and mythology.
5. Andrew Donnelly (1847-1935), an Irish-American labor leader and activist, who played a significant role in the establishment of the Knights of Labor, one of the earliest labor unions in the United States.
The surname Donnelly has a rich history and has been carried by notable individuals across various fields, reflecting the diverse contributions of those with this Irish name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Donnelly
Among Census respondents with the surname Donnelly, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Donnelly 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 Donnelly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 27,635
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 1,096
- Two or more races2.7% · 809
- Black or African American1.1% · 330
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 253
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 70
Timeline
Historical Census data for Donnelly
Donnelly 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
#1,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,505
+586 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 10.68
Rank movement Down 78 places
2020
#1,138
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,193
-1,312 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 10.10
Rank movement Down 24 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,036 | 30,919 | 11.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,114 | 31,505 | 10.68 | +586 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 78 places |
| 2020 | #1,138 | 30,193 | 10.10 | -1,312 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 24 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 Donnelly 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 | #1,114 | #1,138 | -2.2% |
| Count | 31,505 | 30,193 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 10.68 | 10.10 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Donnelly bearers went from 31,505 to 30,193 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 24 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,114 to #1,138.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Donnelly
FAQ
Donnelly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Donnelly?
Name Census estimates that about 34,623 living Americans carry the surname Donnelly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,900 residents.
How common is Donnelly?
Donnelly ranks #1,138 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 30,193 people with the surname Donnelly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (34,623), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Donnelly.
Has Donnelly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Donnelly went from 31,505 recorded bearers to 30,193. That is a decrease of 1,312 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,114 to #1,138.
What does the Census say about the background of Donnelly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Donnelly, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Donnelly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (27,635 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Donnelly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Donnelly (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 Donnelly mean?
A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Domhnall," derived from the Irish Gaelic words "domhan" (world) and "all" (mighty). 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 Donnelly (10.10 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 have the last name Donnelly?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Donnelly on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.