NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcdonnell

A surname of Irish origin, meaning "son of Dómhnall," derived from the Irish Gaelic name Dómhnall, meaning "world ruler."

In the 1881 census there were 1,416 people recorded with the Mcdonnell surname, ranking it #2,935 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,532, ranked #1,035, up from #2,935 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wirral, Rosehearty and Strathbeg and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcdonnell is 6,697 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 361.3%.

1881 census count

1,416

Ranked #2,935

Modern count

6,532

2016, ranked #1,035

Peak year

2010

6,697 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcdonnell had 1,416 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,935 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,532 in 2016, ranked #1,035.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,588 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcdonnell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcdonnell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcdonnell 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 918 #3,005
1861 historical 913 #3,037
1881 historical 1,416 #2,935
1891 historical 1,359 #3,196
1901 historical 1,478 #3,463
1911 historical 1,588 #3,061
1997 modern 6,147 #1,070
1998 modern 6,339 #1,077
1999 modern 6,468 #1,061
2000 modern 6,385 #1,070
2001 modern 6,281 #1,065
2002 modern 6,497 #1,052
2003 modern 6,323 #1,058
2004 modern 6,309 #1,057
2005 modern 6,289 #1,048
2006 modern 6,272 #1,048
2007 modern 6,346 #1,043
2008 modern 6,351 #1,043
2009 modern 6,555 #1,034
2010 modern 6,697 #1,034
2011 modern 6,683 #1,018
2012 modern 6,538 #1,022
2013 modern 6,636 #1,026
2014 modern 6,656 #1,029
2015 modern 6,589 #1,030
2016 modern 6,532 #1,035

Geography

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Where Mcdonnells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Toxteth Park and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wirral, Rosehearty and Strathbeg, County Durham, Coventry and Wandsworth. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wirral 015 Wirral
2 Rosehearty and Strathbeg Aberdeenshire
3 County Durham 059 County Durham
4 Coventry 017 Coventry
5 Wandsworth 014 Wandsworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcdonnell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcdonnell

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mcdonnell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Mcdonnell 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcdonnell

The surname McDonnell is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Domhnall," which means "ruler of the world." This name was Anglicized as Donald, and the prefix "Mc" or "Mac" means "son of."

The McDonnell clan was centered in the Scottish Highlands and Western Isles, particularly on the islands of Islay and Kintyre. The name first appeared in written records in the 12th century, with some early spellings including MacDomhnaill, MacConnell, and McDonill.

In the 14th century, the MacDonnells of Islay became a powerful branch of the clan, with John Mor McDonnell (1337-1395) serving as Lord of the Isles. His descendants played a significant role in Scottish history, including Angus Og McDonnell (1454-1490), who led a rebellion against King James IV in 1489.

The Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, mentions several notable McDonnells, such as Turlough Luineach McDonnell (1567-1593), a chieftain in Ulster, and Rory Og McDonnell (1560-1610), who fought against English forces in Ireland.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, many McDonnells migrated from Scotland to Ireland, particularly to counties Antrim and Down. One prominent figure was Randal McDonnell (1609-1683), the 1st Earl of Antrim, who supported the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.

In the United States, the McDonnell name has been associated with several notable individuals, including John McDonnell (1854-1923), a Irish-American labor leader and politician, and James McDonnell (1899-1967), the founder of the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, a major aerospace company.

Other famous McDonnells include: - Alasdair McDonnell (born 1944), an Irish politician and leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party. - John Francis McDonnell (1837-1892), an Irish-American Roman Catholic bishop. - John McDonnell (born 1951), a British politician and former Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. - Myles McDonnell (1950-2020), an Irish singer-songwriter and musician.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcdonnell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcdonnell 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 87 Mcdonnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.18x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 87 3.18x
Middlesex 22 0.96x
Yorkshire 21 0.92x
Surrey 18 1.60x
Hertfordshire 15 9.45x
Oxfordshire 13 9.14x
Staffordshire 13 1.67x
Northumberland 7 2.04x
Monmouthshire 6 3.61x
Hampshire 5 1.06x
Kent 5 0.64x
Glamorgan 3 0.75x
Leicestershire 3 1.18x
Somerset 3 0.81x
Cheshire 2 0.39x
Essex 2 0.44x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.64x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.69x
Cumberland 1 0.50x
Denbighshire 1 1.15x
Devon 1 0.21x
Durham 1 0.15x
Gloucestershire 1 0.22x
Royal Navy 1 3.65x
Warwickshire 1 0.17x
Worcestershire 1 0.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 21 Mcdonnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.66x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 21 12.66x
Offley 13 1262.14x
Banbury 10 350.88x
Manchester 10 8.14x
Ardsley 8 304.18x
Great Bolton 8 22.11x
Islington London 8 3.59x
Trentham 8 121.03x
West Derby 8 10.01x
Everton 6 6.89x
Kirkdale 6 13.06x
Usk 6 434.78x
Bermondsey 5 7.30x
Hulme 5 8.77x
Lambeth 5 2.49x
Lancaster 5 30.77x
Toxteth Park 5 5.41x
Broughton In Salford 4 16.01x
Leeds 4 3.11x
Portsea 4 4.33x
Walton Le Dale 4 54.50x
Albury Tiddington 3 1875.00x
Belsay 3 967.74x
Camberwell 3 2.04x
Hackney London 3 2.32x
Leicester St Margaret 3 4.82x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 3 14.66x
Roath 3 16.47x
Sheffield 3 4.13x
St Marylebone London 3 2.44x
Walcot 3 15.20x
Wolverhampton 3 5.02x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 9.22x
Colchester St Giles 2 44.54x
East Barnet 2 63.49x
Kensington London 2 1.56x
Newark Upon Trent 2 17.94x
Newington 2 2.35x
Plumstead 2 7.64x
St Pancras London 2 1.08x
Wandsworth 2 9.03x
Bradford 1 1.81x
Burnley 1 4.35x
Cheltenham 1 2.87x
Church Minshull 1 333.33x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.84x
Clifford Cum Boston 1 48.78x
Congleton 1 11.39x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 5.77x
Devonport 1 18.15x
Dudley 1 2.74x
Eling 1 20.92x
Eston 1 20.12x
Graystoke 1 285.71x
Handsworth 1 16.58x
Lenham 1 63.69x
Lewisham 1 2.39x
Margate St John Baptist 1 6.95x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 1 22.22x
Newcastle Under Lyme 1 7.27x
Paddington London 1 1.18x
Poplar London 1 2.30x
Pudsey 1 8.20x
Putney 1 9.53x
Salford 1 1.24x
St Michael Cambridge 1 232.56x
Tudhoe 1 16.69x
Walsall Foreign 1 2.49x
Walton On Hill 1 6.76x
Westminster St John 1 3.57x
Wrexham Regis 1 15.48x
York St Margaret 1 70.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 35
Margaret 10
Ann 7
Sarah 7
Annie 5
Bridget 5
Catherine 4
Elizabeth 4
Ellen 4
Agnes 3
Kate 3
Alice 2
Caroline 2
Eliza 2
Jane 2
Martha 2
Rachel 2
Rose 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Anna 1
Beatrice 1
Cecilia 1
Charlotte 1
Cibinia 1
Eiley 1
Elenor 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizth. 1
Evelyne 1
F. 1
Florence 1
Georgina 1
Harriett 1
Helena 1
Isabella 1
Kathleen 1
Lizzie 1
Maggie 1
Mahala 1
Maria 1
Marion 1
Rosa 1
S. 1
Terisa 1
Theresa 1
Wineford 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 19
James 13
Thomas 13
William 9
Patrick 8
Francis 6
Arthur 3
Charles 2
Edward 2
Henry 2
Michael 2
Peter 2
Samuel 2
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Daniel 1
Delaroy 1
Dennis 1
Edmund 1
Elizabeth 1
Eugene 1
Fred.W. 1
Frederick 1
Hugh 1
J.P. 1
Joseph 1
Malcolm 1
Martin 1
Owen 1
Randel 1
Rayman 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Mcdonnell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcdonnell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,416 people were recorded with the Mcdonnell surname. That placed it at #2,935 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcdonnell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,532 in 2016. That gives Mcdonnell a modern rank of #1,035.

What does the Mcdonnell surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin, meaning "son of Dómhnall," derived from the Irish Gaelic name Dómhnall, meaning "world ruler."

What does the Mcdonnell map show?

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