NameCensus.

UK surname

Donnan

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "donnan" meaning brown-haired man.

In the 1881 census there were 164 people recorded with the Donnan surname, ranking it #14,624 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 475, ranked #10,375, up from #14,624 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mochrum, Glasserton and Sorbie. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Machars South, Cranhill, Lightburn and Queenslie South and Allerdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Donnan is 503 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 189.6%.

1881 census count

164

Ranked #14,624

Modern count

475

2016, ranked #10,375

Peak year

2009

503 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Donnan had 164 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,624 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 475 in 2016, ranked #10,375.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 287 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Donnan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Donnan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Donnan 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 158 #12,461
1861 historical 249 #9,904
1881 historical 164 #14,624
1891 historical 222 #13,854
1901 historical 287 #12,001
1911 historical 145 #18,255
1997 modern 447 #10,128
1998 modern 475 #9,982
1999 modern 476 #10,026
2000 modern 501 #9,619
2001 modern 479 #9,767
2002 modern 496 #9,697
2003 modern 478 #9,807
2004 modern 476 #9,861
2005 modern 476 #9,783
2006 modern 474 #9,855
2007 modern 476 #9,916
2008 modern 480 #9,948
2009 modern 503 #9,804
2010 modern 498 #10,091
2011 modern 497 #9,997
2012 modern 486 #10,073
2013 modern 486 #10,250
2014 modern 483 #10,354
2015 modern 483 #10,264
2016 modern 475 #10,375

Geography

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Where Donnans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mochrum, Glasserton, Sorbie, Toxteth Park and Kirkinner. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Machars South, Cranhill, Lightburn and Queenslie South, Allerdale, Stranraer West and Machars North. 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 Mochrum Wigtown
2 Glasserton Wigtown
3 Sorbie Wigtown
4 Toxteth Park Lancashire
5 Kirkinner Wigtown

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Machars South Dumfries and Galloway
2 Cranhill, Lightburn and Queenslie South Glasgow City
3 Allerdale 010 Allerdale
4 Stranraer West Dumfries and Galloway
5 Machars North Dumfries and Galloway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Donnan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Donnan

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Donnan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Donnan 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

Donnan falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Donnan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Donnan

The surname Donnan originated in Scotland and has a long history dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic word "donnan," which means "brown" or "brown-haired."

The name was initially concentrated in the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in the counties of Argyll and Inverness-shire. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "Donnane" in 1214, found in the Ragman Rolls of Scotland.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Donnan, who was born around 1380 in the village of Glenelg, Inverness-shire. He was a prominent landowner and is mentioned in several historical records from that time period.

In the 16th century, the Donnan family was closely associated with the Clan Campbell, one of the most powerful clans in the Scottish Highlands. Sir Donald Donnan, born in 1543 in Argyll, was a renowned warrior and served as a commander in the Clan Campbell's forces during the Scottish Wars of Independence.

The name Donnan can also be found in several place names throughout Scotland, such as Donnanside in Aberdeenshire and Donnanhill in Renfrewshire. These place names likely originated from the presence of Donnan families in those areas during the Middle Ages.

Another notable bearer of the Donnan surname was Robert Donnan, born in 1675 in Inverness-shire. He was a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the principal of the University of Edinburgh from 1717 until his death in 1737.

In the 19th century, James Donnan (1810-1877) was a successful businessman and industrialist from Glasgow. He founded the Donnan Engineering Company, which played a significant role in the development of Scotland's shipbuilding industry.

One of the most recent historical figures with the Donnan surname was Sir William Donnan (1876-1959), a Scottish chemist and physicist who made significant contributions to the field of electrochemistry. He was born in Calcutta, India, but his family roots traced back to Argyll, Scotland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Donnan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Donnan 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. Wigtownshire leads with 84 Donnans recorded in 1881 and an index of 390.70x.

County Total Index
Wigtownshire 84 390.70x
Lanarkshire 30 5.73x
Lancashire 25 1.30x
Yorkshire 6 0.37x
Durham 4 0.83x
Kent 4 0.72x
Glamorgan 3 1.06x
Middlesex 2 0.12x
Midlothian 2 0.92x
Royal Navy 2 10.36x
Devon 1 0.30x
Flintshire 1 2.30x
Gloucestershire 1 0.31x
Herefordshire 1 1.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whithorn in Wigtownshire leads with 22 Donnans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1341.46x.

Place Total Index
Whithorn 22 1341.46x
Mochrum 13 1015.63x
Glasserton 12 1791.04x
Govan 11 8.49x
Penninghame 10 456.62x
Barony 6 4.53x
Bothwell 6 42.25x
Glasgow 6 6.45x
Old Luce 6 441.18x
Sorbie 6 638.30x
Garston 5 88.18x
Kirkinner 5 561.80x
Liverpool 5 4.28x
Rawcliffe In York 5 10000.00x
Salford 5 8.85x
Stranraer 5 253.81x
Toxteth Park 5 7.68x
Everton 4 6.53x
Folkestone 4 37.31x
Southwick 4 87.72x
Inch 3 142.86x
Margam 2 63.69x
Royal Navy 2 12.13x
Wigtown 2 162.60x
Bristol St George 1 6.81x
Devonport 1 25.84x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.15x
Hackney London 1 1.10x
Hawarden 1 29.24x
Hope Under Dinmore 1 370.37x
Llantwit Vairdre 1 31.55x
Pudsey 1 11.66x
Ratho 1 99.01x
Shettleston 1 21.32x
St Pancras London 1 0.77x
West Derby 1 1.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Jane 4
Elizabeth 3
Margaret 3
Catherine 2
Ann 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Eveline 1
Jessie 1
Rebecca 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
James 3
Thomas 3
Samuel 2
William 2
Alexander 1
Andrew 1
David 1
Douglas 1
George 1
Jas.William 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Walter 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 Donnan households.

FAQ

Donnan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Donnan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 164 people were recorded with the Donnan surname. That placed it at #14,624 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Donnan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 475 in 2016. That gives Donnan a modern rank of #10,375.

What does the Donnan surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "donnan" meaning brown-haired man.

What does the Donnan map show?

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