NameCensus.

UK surname

Donnachie

A Scottish surname derived from a Gaelic personal name meaning "brown" or "brown-haired person".

In the 1881 census there were 258 people recorded with the Donnachie surname, ranking it #10,836 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,359, ranked #4,437, up from #10,836 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Greenock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lower Bow and Larkfield, Fancy Farm, Mallard Bowl, Greenock East and Braeside, Branchton, Lower Larkfield and Ravenscraig.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Donnachie is 1,359 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 426.7%.

1881 census count

258

Ranked #10,836

Modern count

1,359

2016, ranked #4,437

Peak year

2016

1,359 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Donnachie had 258 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,836 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,359 in 2016, ranked #4,437.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 451 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Donnachie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Donnachie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Donnachie 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 59 #26,466
1881 historical 258 #10,836
1891 historical 331 #10,277
1901 historical 451 #8,686
1911 historical 15 #31,938
1997 modern 1,169 #4,822
1998 modern 1,194 #4,905
1999 modern 1,213 #4,886
2000 modern 1,208 #4,870
2001 modern 1,175 #4,902
2002 modern 1,207 #4,879
2003 modern 1,200 #4,806
2004 modern 1,189 #4,848
2005 modern 1,216 #4,708
2006 modern 1,241 #4,640
2007 modern 1,256 #4,634
2008 modern 1,278 #4,577
2009 modern 1,313 #4,563
2010 modern 1,324 #4,621
2011 modern 1,312 #4,602
2012 modern 1,338 #4,461
2013 modern 1,335 #4,545
2014 modern 1,356 #4,508
2015 modern 1,345 #4,500
2016 modern 1,359 #4,437

Geography

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Where Donnachies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Greenock, Glasgow and Kilmarnock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lower Bow and Larkfield, Fancy Farm, Mallard Bowl, Greenock East, Braeside, Branchton, Lower Larkfield and Ravenscraig, Greenock Upper Central and Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
3 Greenock Renfrew
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Kilmarnock Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lower Bow and Larkfield, Fancy Farm, Mallard Bowl Inverclyde
2 Greenock East Inverclyde
3 Braeside, Branchton, Lower Larkfield and Ravenscraig Inverclyde
4 Greenock Upper Central Inverclyde
5 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Donnachie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Donnachie

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Donnachie, 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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Donnachie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Donnachie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Donnachie 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

Donnachie 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

Donnachie 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 Donnachie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Donnachie

The surname Donnachie has its roots in Scotland, where it emerged in the 13th century. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic words "dòmhnach," meaning Sunday, and "naomh," meaning sacred or holy. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who attended church services or religious ceremonies on Sundays.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, where a person named Johannes Dunnachy is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the surname over time.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Donnachie was particularly concentrated in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles of Scotland. It was also found in the Scottish Borders and other parts of the country.

In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name was Archibald Donnachie, a landowner and farmer from the Isle of Islay. His son, Angus Donnachie, was a respected elder in the local Presbyterian church in the late 1600s.

The name Donnachie can be linked to several place names in Scotland, such as Dunnachie in Aberdeenshire and Dunnachie Hill in Argyll. These locations likely derived their names from individuals bearing the surname Donnachie who lived or owned land in those areas.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure with this surname was Robert Donnachie, a merchant and ship owner from Glasgow, born in 1734 and died in 1802. He played a significant role in the city's thriving trade with the West Indies during that period.

Another notable bearer of the name was John Donnachie, a Scottish poet and writer from Ayrshire, born in 1819 and died in 1892. He published several volumes of poetry celebrating the landscapes and culture of his home region.

In the 19th century, the Donnachie surname also gained recognition through individuals like William Donnachie, a successful businessman and philanthropist from Edinburgh, born in 1842 and died in 1917. He made significant contributions to various charitable causes and institutions in the city.

While the surname Donnachie is relatively uncommon today, it maintains a strong connection to its Scottish heritage and the historical significance of its bearers across various walks of life.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Donnachie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Donnachie 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 103 Donnachies recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.65x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 103 12.65x
Stirlingshire 39 42.02x
Ayrshire 38 20.18x
Renfrewshire 23 11.79x
Angus 16 6.86x
Northumberland 11 2.94x
Dumfriesshire 9 16.19x
Cumberland 8 3.69x
Selkirkshire 6 26.35x
Dunbartonshire 2 2.96x
Perthshire 2 1.77x
Wigtownshire 1 2.99x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Ninians in Stirlingshire leads with 16 Donnachies recorded in 1881 and an index of 173.91x.

Place Total Index
St Ninians 16 173.91x
Barony 15 7.28x
Govan 14 6.95x
Maryhill 14 87.88x
Denny 13 263.16x
Kilmarnock 13 57.98x
Bothwell 12 54.37x
Dundee 12 13.79x
Longbenton 11 69.36x
Eastwood 10 83.26x
New Monkland 10 41.56x
West Greenock 10 28.56x
Coylton 9 337.08x
Glasgow 9 6.23x
Kirkpatrick Juxta 9 989.01x
Lanark 8 122.14x
Shotts 8 82.14x
Whitehaven 8 69.26x
New Cumnock 7 214.07x
Old Monkland 7 21.67x
Selkirk 6 93.60x
Liff Benvie 4 11.30x
Polmont 4 116.62x
Dunipace 3 185.19x
Loudoun 3 66.23x
Blairgowrie 2 44.74x
Dalry 2 22.57x
Drymen 2 161.29x
Hamilton 2 8.81x
Old Kilpatrick 2 25.03x
Port Glasgow 2 21.21x
Stevenston 2 40.73x
Ayr 1 11.25x
Cadder 1 16.64x
Campsie 1 19.65x
Carluke 1 13.53x
Erskine 1 70.42x
Gorbals 1 20.70x
Inch 1 30.67x
Shettleston 1 13.72x
Stewarton 1 26.81x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Elizabeth 2
Marion 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 2
Robert 2
William 2
Bernard 1
Cumming 1
Hugh 1
John 1
Matthew 1

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 Donnachie households.

FAQ

Donnachie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Donnachie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 258 people were recorded with the Donnachie surname. That placed it at #10,836 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Donnachie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,359 in 2016. That gives Donnachie a modern rank of #4,437.

What does the Donnachie surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a Gaelic personal name meaning "brown" or "brown-haired person".

What does the Donnachie map show?

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