NameCensus.

UK surname

Donnell

Derived from the Irish Ó Domhnaill, meaning "descendant of Domhnall," a personal name composed of the elements "world" and "might."

In the 1881 census there were 309 people recorded with the Donnell surname, ranking it #9,517 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 472, ranked #10,433, down from #9,517 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Paisley Ferguslie, Paisley Glenburn East and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Donnell is 591 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.8%.

1881 census count

309

Ranked #9,517

Modern count

472

2016, ranked #10,433

Peak year

1861

591 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Donnell had 309 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,517 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 472 in 2016, ranked #10,433.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 591 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Donnell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Donnell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Donnell 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 334 #7,001
1861 historical 591 #4,475
1881 historical 309 #9,517
1891 historical 584 #6,539
1901 historical 442 #8,818
1911 historical 331 #10,654
1997 modern 361 #11,892
1998 modern 380 #11,827
1999 modern 371 #12,101
2000 modern 372 #12,020
2001 modern 362 #12,076
2002 modern 381 #11,865
2003 modern 389 #11,490
2004 modern 396 #11,372
2005 modern 371 #11,842
2006 modern 383 #11,600
2007 modern 386 #11,676
2008 modern 393 #11,641
2009 modern 506 #9,759
2010 modern 553 #9,324
2011 modern 473 #10,376
2012 modern 421 #11,245
2013 modern 427 #11,325
2014 modern 446 #10,981
2015 modern 460 #10,652
2016 modern 472 #10,433

Geography

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Where Donnells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, St Marylebone and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Paisley Ferguslie, Paisley Glenburn East, Sunderland, Doncaster and Shropshire. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Paisley Ferguslie Renfrewshire
2 Paisley Glenburn East Renfrewshire
3 Sunderland 012 Sunderland
4 Doncaster 031 Doncaster
5 Shropshire 015 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Donnell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Donnell

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

Donnell is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Donnell 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 Donnell 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 Donnell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Donnell

The surname DONNELL originated in Ireland and is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name O'Domhnaill, which means "descendant of Domhnall." Domhnall is derived from the Gaelic words "domhan," meaning "world," and "all," meaning "mighty" or "powerful." The name can be traced back to the 10th century and the influential O'Donnell dynasty of Donegal in Ulster, Ireland.

The O'Donnell clan was one of the most powerful families in medieval Ulster and played a significant role in Irish history. The name appears in numerous historical records, including the Annals of Ulster and the Annals of the Four Masters, which document the clan's activities from the 12th to the 17th century.

One notable figure was Niall Garve O'Donnell (c. 1516-1626), a renowned warrior and leader of the O'Donnell clan who fought against English colonization of Ireland. Another prominent individual was Red Hugh O'Donnell (c. 1572-1602), an Irish chieftain and military commander who led a successful rebellion against English rule in Ulster.

The DONNELL surname can be found in various spellings throughout history, including O'Donnell, O'Donell, and Donell. Place names associated with the name include Donegal, which was the traditional territory of the O'Donnell clan, and Bundoran, a town in County Donegal.

Other notable individuals with the surname include Peader O'Donnell (1899-1970), an Irish republican and socialist activist, and Edna Ferber (1885-1968), an American novelist and playwright whose birth name was Edna O'Donnell. Another famous DONNELL was James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916), an American poet known as the "Hoosier Poet" whose mother's maiden name was Donnell.

While the DONNELL surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to immigration patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Donnell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Donnell 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 63 Donnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.77x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 63 1.77x
Middlesex 58 1.94x
Lanarkshire 25 2.58x
Yorkshire 21 0.71x
Northumberland 19 4.26x
Kent 15 1.47x
Cheshire 14 2.12x
Glamorgan 13 2.49x
Stirlingshire 12 10.86x
Essex 10 1.69x
Midlothian 6 1.50x
Flintshire 5 6.21x
Surrey 5 0.34x
Devon 4 0.64x
Norfolk 4 0.87x
Renfrewshire 4 1.72x
Warwickshire 4 0.53x
Gloucestershire 3 0.51x
Berkshire 2 0.89x
Dunbartonshire 2 2.49x
Durham 2 0.22x
Lincolnshire 2 0.42x
Merionethshire 2 3.65x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.50x
Pembrokeshire 2 2.10x
Wiltshire 2 0.76x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.83x
Inverness-shire 1 1.12x
Monmouthshire 1 0.46x
Shropshire 1 0.39x
Staffordshire 1 0.10x
Westmorland 1 1.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Elswick in Northumberland leads with 12 Donnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.75x.

Place Total Index
Elswick 12 33.75x
Dunipace 10 518.13x
Merthyr Tydfil 10 19.95x
West Ham 10 7.66x
Chelsea London 9 9.97x
Glasgow 9 5.23x
Liverpool 9 4.17x
Old Monkland 9 23.42x
Castleton 8 22.54x
Wigan 8 16.11x
Barony 7 2.86x
Deptford St Paul 7 8.88x
Dewsbury 7 23.00x
Westgate 7 25.37x
Hackney London 6 3.57x
St Marylebone London 6 3.75x
Tarvin Pryors Hayes 6 681.82x
West Derby 6 5.77x
Accrington 5 15.48x
Ashton Under Lyne 5 6.44x
Fishwick 5 227.27x
Westminster St James 5 16.24x
Dukinfield 4 13.09x
East Dereham 4 68.73x
Everton 4 3.53x
Layton With Warbreck 4 30.67x
Toxteth Park 4 3.32x
Westminster St 4 36.23x
Woolwich 4 10.60x
Bethnal Green London 3 2.31x
Birmingham 3 1.19x
Bow London 3 7.87x
Bowling 3 10.21x
Bromley London 3 4.55x
Edinburgh Canongate 3 29.38x
Heckmondwike 3 31.45x
Mold Leeswood 3 164.84x
Pudsey 3 18.92x
Westminster St John 3 8.23x
Armley 2 15.28x
Barnstaple 2 20.45x
Bisley 2 37.59x
Camberwell 2 1.05x
Devizes St Mary 2 74.63x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 1.24x
Evenwood Barony 2 66.01x
Falkirk 2 7.73x
Kirkintilloch 2 18.30x
Lee 2 13.48x
Leeds 2 1.19x
Llanaber 2 92.17x
Nottingham St Mary 2 1.92x
Paddington London 2 1.82x
Paisley High Church 2 10.82x
Spitalfields London 2 8.88x
Stoke Damerel 2 4.58x
Swansea Town 2 4.68x
Bermondsey 1 1.12x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 1 1.81x
Casterton 1 166.67x
Clase 1 5.16x
Clee With Weelsby 1 9.54x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.41x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 4.43x
East Greenock 1 4.56x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 1 10.54x
High Leigh 1 114.94x
Inverness 1 4.45x
Isleworth 1 7.51x
Lower Bebington 1 25.45x
Macclesfield 1 3.40x
Normanby In 1 12.61x
Pembroke St Mary 1 8.16x
Ratcliffe London 1 6.05x
Shrewsbury St Julian 1 15.63x
St Andrew Holborn 1 9.85x
St George Hanover 1 2.56x
Tilehurst 1 22.03x
West Greenock 1 2.40x
Ysceifiog 1 80.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Elizabeth 9
Ellen 7
Sarah 7
Ann 6
Annie 5
Catherine 4
Jane 4
Margaret 4
Alice 3
Bridget 3
Anastasia 2
Caroline 2
Ethel 2
Frances 2
Kate 2
Katherine 2
Margt. 2
Marry 2
Anna 1
Briget 1
C. 1
C.O. 1
D.Elizabeth 1
Diana 1
Eliz. 1
Eliza 1
Ellin 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Evangeline 1
Feneralla 1
Florence 1
Florrie 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Henrietta 1
Josephepha 1
Letitia 1
Lilly 1
Louisa 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
Margart 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Marion 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 25
James 15
William 12
Joseph 6
Patrick 6
Thomas 6
Charles 5
Michael 5
George 4
Edward 3
Francis 3
Peter 3
Henry 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Anthony 1
Bernard 1
Dd. 1
Edmond 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Geo.M. 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
Hugh 1
Jacob 1
Jas.A. 1
Luke 1
Martin 1
Morras 1
Nelson 1
Pat 1
Thos. 1
Tudor 1
Waltr. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Donnell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Donnell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 309 people were recorded with the Donnell surname. That placed it at #9,517 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Donnell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 472 in 2016. That gives Donnell a modern rank of #10,433.

What does the Donnell surname mean?

Derived from the Irish Ó Domhnaill, meaning "descendant of Domhnall," a personal name composed of the elements "world" and "might."

What does the Donnell map show?

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