NameCensus.

UK surname

Donegan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Donnagáin," meaning "descendant of Donnagán" (a diminutive of "Donagh," meaning "brown-haired").

In the 1881 census there were 299 people recorded with the Donegan surname, ranking it #9,740 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,480, ranked #4,163, up from #9,740 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lewisham, Caerphilly and Manchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Donegan is 1,526 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 395.0%.

1881 census count

299

Ranked #9,740

Modern count

1,480

2016, ranked #4,163

Peak year

2010

1,526 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Donegan had 299 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,740 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,480 in 2016, ranked #4,163.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 434 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Donegan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Donegan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Donegan 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 82 #19,317
1861 historical 111 #19,429
1881 historical 299 #9,740
1891 historical 292 #11,351
1901 historical 434 #8,940
1911 historical 434 #8,740
1997 modern 1,373 #4,202
1998 modern 1,436 #4,195
1999 modern 1,470 #4,152
2000 modern 1,456 #4,166
2001 modern 1,404 #4,208
2002 modern 1,423 #4,237
2003 modern 1,422 #4,166
2004 modern 1,412 #4,190
2005 modern 1,415 #4,157
2006 modern 1,414 #4,164
2007 modern 1,427 #4,170
2008 modern 1,455 #4,121
2009 modern 1,493 #4,134
2010 modern 1,526 #4,140
2011 modern 1,511 #4,131
2012 modern 1,456 #4,179
2013 modern 1,504 #4,145
2014 modern 1,517 #4,140
2015 modern 1,505 #4,124
2016 modern 1,480 #4,163

Geography

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Where Donegans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Manchester, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lewisham, Caerphilly, Manchester, Stockton-on-Tees and Leeds. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lewisham 002 Lewisham
2 Caerphilly 001 Caerphilly
3 Manchester 045 Manchester
4 Stockton-on-Tees 018 Stockton-on-Tees
5 Leeds 085 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Donegan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Donegan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Donegan, 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 Donegan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Donegan 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Donegan is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Donegan is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Donegan 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 Donegan 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.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Donegan

The surname Donegan has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the 16th century. It is an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Donnghaile," which means "descendant of Donnghal." Donnghal is a personal name that combines the Gaelic words "donn," meaning brown or dark, and "ghal," meaning valor or valiance.

The Donegan name is closely associated with County Sligo in the northwestern part of Ireland. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Fiants of the Tudor sovereign, Queen Elizabeth I, from the late 16th century. These official records document land grants and other legal matters pertaining to the Donegan family in County Sligo during that period.

In the 17th century, the Donegan name appeared in the Annals of the Four Masters, a renowned chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention several members of the Donegan clan, including Brian Oge Donegan, who was involved in a conflict with the O'Conors of Sligo in 1603.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Donegan surname was Teige Donegan, a member of the Irish Parliament who represented County Sligo in the 1630s. Another notable figure was Dermot Donegan, a Catholic priest who lived in the late 17th century and played a role in preserving Irish language manuscripts and historical records.

In the 18th century, the Donegan name gained prominence through the military exploits of Brigadier General John Donegan (1690-1757). Born in County Sligo, he served in the British Army and fought in various campaigns during the War of the Austrian Succession.

The 19th century saw the emergence of Jeremiah Donegan (1810-1890), a prominent Irish-American politician and lawyer who served as the Mayor of Albany, New York, in the 1860s. Another notable individual from this period was Michael Donegan (1836-1914), an Irish-born prelate who served as the Bishop of Trenton, New Jersey, from 1881 until his death.

In the literary realm, the Donegan name is associated with William Donegan (1832-1908), an Irish-American writer and journalist who contributed to various publications in the United States and Ireland. He is particularly known for his novel, Elmwood Folks, which depicted life in rural Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Donegan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Donegan 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. Lancashire leads with 77 Donegans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.22x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 77 2.22x
Lanarkshire 39 4.13x
Middlesex 34 1.17x
Surrey 30 2.11x
Durham 19 2.19x
Kent 11 1.11x
Angus 10 3.70x
Fife 10 5.79x
Cheshire 9 1.40x
Midlothian 9 2.30x
Monmouthshire 8 3.79x
Stirlingshire 7 6.51x
Worcestershire 7 1.84x
Glamorgan 5 0.98x
Yorkshire 5 0.17x
Renfrewshire 3 1.33x
Shropshire 3 1.19x
Berkshire 2 0.91x
Hampshire 2 0.33x
Inverness-shire 2 2.30x
Ayrshire 1 0.46x
Devon 1 0.16x
Essex 1 0.17x
Hertfordshire 1 0.50x
Staffordshire 1 0.10x
Sussex 1 0.20x
Warwickshire 1 0.14x

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 24 Donegans recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.29x.

Place Total Index
Govan 24 10.29x
Lambeth 13 5.11x
Liverpool 12 5.71x
Dundee 10 9.91x
West Derby 10 9.88x
Bishopwearmouth 8 10.74x
Glasgow 8 4.78x
Westminster St John 8 22.52x
Everton 7 6.35x
Kidderminster Borough 7 31.40x
Scoonie 7 187.17x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 11.93x
St Woollos 7 29.75x
Stirling 7 51.62x
Barony 6 2.51x
Battersea 6 5.59x
Chorlton On Medlock 6 10.91x
Edinburgh Canongate 6 60.36x
Islington London 6 2.12x
Minster In Sheppey 6 36.39x
Parr 6 48.47x
Blackburn 5 5.43x
Crook Billy Row 5 45.00x
Merthyr Tydfil 5 10.24x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 14.56x
Clerkenwell London 4 5.81x
Horton In Bradford 4 8.86x
Kirkdale 4 6.87x
Wigan 4 8.27x
Ashton In Makerfield 3 30.43x
Birkenhead 3 5.85x
Brandon Byshottles 3 27.60x
Deptford St Nicholas 3 37.97x
Edinburgh High Church 3 122.45x
Kirkcaldy 3 35.05x
Salford 3 2.95x
St Clement Danes London 3 49.67x
St Marylebone London 3 1.93x
Tranmere 3 12.68x
Abbey 2 5.80x
Aldershot 2 9.99x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 2 69.93x
Great Little Marsden 2 12.62x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 2 5.32x
Holy Trinity Less London 2 270.27x
Inverness 2 9.13x
Lancaster 2 9.71x
Litherland 2 27.62x
Newington 2 1.86x
St Andrew Holborn London 2 15.84x
St Martin In Fields 2 11.45x
Toxteth Park 2 1.71x
Barrow In Furness 1 2.12x
Bermondsey 1 1.15x
Birmingham 1 0.41x
Chelsea London 1 1.14x
Chorley In Macclesfield 1 51.02x
Crumpsall 1 12.25x
Easingwold 1 49.02x
East Ham 1 9.36x
East Stonehouse 1 8.36x
Gillingham 1 4.87x
Higher Bebington 1 24.27x
Horsham 1 10.47x
Kensington London 1 0.62x
Lesmahagow 1 10.02x
Lichfield St Mary 1 35.21x
Llangua 1 1250.00x
Moore 1 250.00x
Muirkirk 1 19.49x
Paddington London 1 0.93x
Reading St Mary 1 5.70x
Sandhurst 1 23.58x
Shrewsbury St Chad 1 11.31x
St Botolph Aldgate London 1 16.64x
Swanscombe 1 22.37x
Tonge With Haulgh 1 14.84x
Watford 1 6.41x
Wavertree 1 9.03x
West Greenock 1 2.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Catherine 12
Margaret 9
Emily 6
Bridget 5
Eliza 4
Elizabeth 4
Ellen 4
Emma 4
Kate 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Ann 2
Anne 2
Charlotte 2
Elizth. 2
Esther 2
Frances 2
Jane 2
Margt. 2
Rose 2
(Mrs) 1
Altha 1
Annie 1
C.S. 1
Caroline 1
Cath. 1
Cathreen 1
Della 1
Estha 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Georgina 1
Helena 1
Laura 1
Maria 1
Sarah 1
Theresa 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 23
James 10
Michael 10
Thomas 7
William 7
George 5
Charles 4
Denis 4
Daniel 3
Joseph 3
Patrick 3
Arthur 2
Barthley 2
Dennis 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Martin 2
Robert 2
Andrew 1
Bartley 1
Christopher 1
E.G. 1
Eugene 1
Francis 1
Geo. 1
Miles 1
Owen 1
Thos. 1
Thos.Edwd. 1
W.F. 1
Wm.Jo. 1

FAQ

Donegan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Donegan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 299 people were recorded with the Donegan surname. That placed it at #9,740 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Donegan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,480 in 2016. That gives Donegan a modern rank of #4,163.

What does the Donegan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Donnagáin," meaning "descendant of Donnagán" (a diminutive of "Donagh," meaning "brown-haired").

What does the Donegan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Donegan 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.