2000
#34,210
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 627
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Very Rare Last name
Odonohue
Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Donnchadha meaning "descendant of Donnchadh" (dark brown-haired warrior).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 779 Americans carry the last name Odonohue. That puts it at #35,638 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 439,993 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Odonohue 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 Odonohue with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
779
1 in 439,993
Census rank
#35,638
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
679
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 679 bearers of the surname Odonohue in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 35638th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Odonohue, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Odonohue
The surname O'Donohue originates from Ireland and dates back to the 10th century. It is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Donnchadha, which means "descendant of Donnchadh". Donnchadh was a personal name derived from the words "donn" meaning brown, and "cath" meaning battle or warrior.
O'Donohue is a prominent surname found in County Kerry, particularly in the Dingle Peninsula and the surrounding areas. The name is associated with the ancient Irish clan of Uí Donnchadha, who were rulers and chieftains in this region during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In this text, the name Donnchadh appears as early as 977 AD, indicating the long-standing presence of the name in Ireland.
The O'Donohue clan played a significant role in the history of County Kerry. One notable figure was Dermot O'Donohue, who was the chief of the clan in the 16th century. He was involved in conflicts with the English crown during the Desmond Rebellions, which aimed to assert Irish independence.
Another prominent O'Donohue was Reverend Jeremiah O'Donohue (1823-1898), a Catholic priest and author. He wrote several books on Irish history and language, including "The Life and Writings of St. Patrick" and "Brendaniana", which explored the legend of St. Brendan the Navigator.
In the literary world, John Francis O'Donohue (1956-2008) was a renowned Irish poet, author, and philosopher. His works, such as "Anam Cara" and "Eternal Echoes", explored themes of spirituality, Celtic heritage, and the human experience.
The surname O'Donohue has also been associated with several notable athletes. John O'Donohue (1948-2022) was an Irish hurler who played for the Waterford senior hurling team, winning two All-Ireland medals in 1959 and 1963. Patrick O'Donohue (born 1962) is a former Irish cricketer who played for the Irish national team in the 1980s and 1990s.
Throughout history, the spelling of the surname has varied, including Donohue, O'Donoghue, and Donoghue. This variation is often attributed to the anglicization of the original Irish name, as well as regional differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Odonohue
Among Census respondents with the surname Odonohue, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Odonohue 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 Odonohue surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 610
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 44
- Two or more races2.4% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 6
- Black or African American0.3% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Odonohue
Odonohue 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
#35,016
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 644
+17 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 806 places
2020
#35,638
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 679
+35 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 622 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,210 | 627 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,016 | 644 | 0.22 | +17 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 806 places |
| 2020 | #35,638 | 679 | 0.23 | +35 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 622 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 Odonohue 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 | #35,016 | #35,638 | -1.8% |
| Count | 644 | 679 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.23 | 3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Odonohue bearers went from 644 to 679 (+5.4% change). The surname moved down 622 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,016 to #35,638.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Odonohue
FAQ
Odonohue surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Odonohue?
Name Census estimates that about 779 living Americans carry the surname Odonohue. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 439,993 residents.
How common is Odonohue?
Odonohue ranks #35,638 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 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 679 people with the surname Odonohue. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (779), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 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 Odonohue.
Has Odonohue become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Odonohue went from 644 recorded bearers to 679. That is an increase of 35 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #35,016 to #35,638.
What does the Census say about the background of Odonohue?
Among Census respondents with the surname Odonohue, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) 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 Odonohue in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (610 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Odonohue appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (6.5%), 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 Odonohue (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 Odonohue mean?
Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Donnchadha meaning "descendant of Donnchadh" (dark brown-haired warrior). 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 Odonohue (0.23 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 Odonohue?
Find out how many people have the surname Odonohue on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.