NameCensus.

UK surname

Donaghey

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name Ó Donnchadha meaning "descendant of Donnchadh".

In the 1881 census there were 67 people recorded with the Donaghey surname, ranking it #24,104 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 634, ranked #8,340, up from #24,104 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Govan Combination and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lancaster, Newcastle upon Tyne and Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Donaghey is 663 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 846.3%.

1881 census count

67

Ranked #24,104

Modern count

634

2016, ranked #8,340

Peak year

2010

663 bearers

Map years

4

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Donaghey had 67 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,104 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 634 in 2016, ranked #8,340.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 116 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Donaghey surname distribution map

The map shows where the Donaghey surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Donaghey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Donaghey over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 19 #29,904
1861 historical 47 #28,023
1881 historical 67 #24,104
1891 historical 116 #21,766
1901 historical 79 #25,363
1911 historical 42 #28,691
1997 modern 515 #9,110
1998 modern 529 #9,195
1999 modern 532 #9,208
2000 modern 549 #8,956
2001 modern 528 #9,084
2002 modern 555 #8,919
2003 modern 557 #8,758
2004 modern 561 #8,736
2005 modern 582 #8,450
2006 modern 590 #8,387
2007 modern 608 #8,262
2008 modern 627 #8,131
2009 modern 657 #8,006
2010 modern 663 #8,114
2011 modern 649 #8,164
2012 modern 613 #8,463
2013 modern 628 #8,435
2014 modern 649 #8,266
2015 modern 639 #8,304
2016 modern 634 #8,340

Geography

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Where Donagheys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Govan Combination, Toxteth Park, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lancaster, Newcastle upon Tyne, Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill and Carmunnock South. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lancaster 020 Lancaster
2 Newcastle upon Tyne 030 Newcastle upon Tyne
3 Newcastle upon Tyne 028 Newcastle upon Tyne
4 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City
5 Carmunnock South Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Donaghey

These lists show first names that appear often with the Donaghey surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Donaghey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Donaghey, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Donaghey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Donaghey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Donaghey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Donaghey is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Donaghey falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Donaghey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

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Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Donaghey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Donaghey

The surname Donaghey originates from Ireland, with its roots tracing back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic term "O'Donnchadha," which translates to "descendant of Donnchadh." Donnchadh was a popular personal name in ancient Ireland, meaning "brown warrior" or "dark chieftain."

The earliest recorded instances of the Donaghey surname can be found in ancient Irish annals and manuscripts, where it is often spelled as O'Donnchadha, O'Donoghue, or O'Donohoe. One notable historical reference is the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle compiled in the 17th century that mentions several individuals bearing variations of the Donaghey name.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Donaghey clan was prominent in County Cork and County Kerry, particularly in the baronies of Duhallow and Magunihy. The family's ancestral lands were located in the region of Lough Lene, which was known as "O'Donoghue's Country." This area included the picturesque Ross Castle, where the legendary O'Donoghue chieftains were said to have resided.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Donaghey surname was Aedh Og O'Donoghue (1572-1629), a notable chieftain and military leader who fought against the English forces during the Elizabethan and Jacobean wars in Ireland. Another prominent figure was Geoffrey O'Donoghue (1590-1667), a lawyer and landowner who played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s.

In the 18th century, John O'Donoghue (1725-1780) was a renowned Irish poet and writer who composed works in both English and Irish. His poetic works celebrated the beauty of his native County Kerry and the exploits of the O'Donoghue clan.

During the 19th century, John O'Donoghue (1815-1896) was a prominent Catholic priest and educator who served as the first president of St. John's College in Waterford, Ireland. He was known for his advocacy of Irish language and culture.

As the centuries passed, the Donaghey surname underwent various spellings and anglicizations, including Donoughue, Donoghue, Donohoe, Donohue, and the more modern Donaghey. While the name has spread globally due to Irish emigration, it remains closely tied to its ancient roots in the southwestern counties of Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Donaghey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Donaghey surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 18 Donagheys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.39x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 18 8.39x
Lancashire 11 1.40x
Angus 8 13.02x
Cheshire 7 4.78x
Durham 7 3.55x
Renfrewshire 5 9.73x
Ayrshire 4 8.06x
Dunbartonshire 4 22.45x
Essex 1 0.76x
Royal Navy 1 12.66x
Staffordshire 1 0.45x
Yorkshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 9 Donagheys recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.97x.

Place Total Index
Govan 9 16.97x
Benfieldside 7 538.46x
Glasgow 5 13.13x
West Greenock 5 54.23x
Birkenhead 4 34.28x
Dreghorn 4 444.44x
Dundee 4 17.44x
Old Kilpatrick 4 189.57x
Toxteth Park 4 15.01x
Chester St John Baptist 3 114.07x
Liff Benvie 3 32.15x
Pendleton In Salford 3 31.98x
Barony 1 1.84x
Cambusnethan 1 21.01x
Dalziel 1 43.29x
Eston 1 69.93x
Hamilton 1 16.72x
Harborne 1 13.95x
Little Warley 1 555.56x
Liverpool 1 2.09x
Mains 1 192.31x
Rainhill 1 200.00x
Royal Navy 1 14.79x
Walton On Hill 1 23.47x
West Derby 1 4.34x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Donaghey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Jane 4
Mary 3
Ellen 2
Sarah 2
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Harriat 1
Isabella 1
Margret 1
Rachel 1
Rose 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Donaghey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Donaghey households.

FAQ

Donaghey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Donaghey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 67 people were recorded with the Donaghey surname. That placed it at #24,104 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Donaghey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 634 in 2016. That gives Donaghey a modern rank of #8,340.

What does the Donaghey surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name Ó Donnchadha meaning "descendant of Donnchadh".

What does the Donaghey map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Donaghey bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.