NameCensus.

UK surname

Odonnell

A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Domhnall," a personal name meaning "world ruler."

In the 1881 census there were 3,098 people recorded with the Odonnell surname, ranking it #1,452 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 15,455, ranked #408, up from #1,452 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Toryglen and Oatlands, Cathcart and Kensington and Chelsea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Odonnell is 15,495 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 398.9%.

1881 census count

3,098

Ranked #1,452

Modern count

15,455

2016, ranked #408

Peak year

2010

15,495 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Odonnell had 3,098 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,452 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 15,455 in 2016, ranked #408.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,431 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Odonnell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Odonnell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Odonnell 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 991 #2,816
1861 historical 1,313 #2,176
1881 historical 3,098 #1,452
1891 historical 3,382 #1,409
1901 historical 4,431 #1,284
1911 historical 2,848 #1,833
1997 modern 14,161 #428
1998 modern 14,647 #427
1999 modern 14,707 #431
2000 modern 14,825 #425
2001 modern 14,452 #426
2002 modern 14,914 #422
2003 modern 14,474 #423
2004 modern 14,484 #420
2005 modern 14,480 #419
2006 modern 14,426 #420
2007 modern 14,709 #418
2008 modern 14,922 #415
2009 modern 15,088 #420
2010 modern 15,495 #419
2011 modern 15,278 #416
2012 modern 15,053 #414
2013 modern 15,296 #419
2014 modern 15,479 #414
2015 modern 15,465 #411
2016 modern 15,455 #408

Geography

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Where Odonnells are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Toryglen and Oatlands, Cathcart, Kensington and Chelsea, Govanhill East and Aikenhead and Greenock Town Centre and East Central. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Toryglen and Oatlands Glasgow City
2 Cathcart Glasgow City
3 Kensington and Chelsea 003 Kensington and Chelsea
4 Govanhill East and Aikenhead Glasgow City
5 Greenock Town Centre and East Central Inverclyde

Forenames

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First names often paired with Odonnell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Odonnell

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

Odonnell 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

Odonnell 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 Odonnell 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Odonnell

The surname O'Donnell is of Irish origin and dates back to the 12th century. It originated in County Donegal, located in the northern part of Ireland. The name is derived from the Gaelic Ó Dónaill, which means "descendant of Dónall" or "son of Dónall."

O'Donnell was the name of a powerful clan that ruled over a large territory in County Donegal for several centuries. The clan's influence extended beyond Donegal, and they played a significant role in Irish history. One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history.

In the 14th century, Niall Óg O'Donnell (c. 1286-1368) was a prominent member of the O'Donnell clan and served as the King of Tír Conaill (Donegal). He was known for his military prowess and his involvement in conflicts with neighboring clans.

Another notable figure was Red Hugh O'Donnell (c. 1572-1602), an Irish chieftain and one of the leaders of the Nine Years' War against English rule in Ireland. He is celebrated for his daring escape from Dublin Castle and his efforts to resist the English conquest of Ireland.

In the 17th century, Rory O'Donnell (c. 1575-1608) was a prominent Irish nobleman and military commander. He fought alongside Red Hugh O'Donnell in the Nine Years' War and later fled Ireland during the Flight of the Earls in 1607.

The name O'Donnell has also been associated with various place names in County Donegal, such as Donegal Town, Ballyshannon, and Killybegs. These places were once part of the O'Donnell clan's territory and bear witness to their historical influence in the region.

Other notable figures with the surname O'Donnell include Patrick O'Donnell (1856-1927), an Irish nationalist and Member of Parliament, and Peadar O'Donnell (1893-1986), an Irish socialist and writer who was part of the Irish Republican Army during the Irish Revolutionary period.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Odonnell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Odonnell 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 476 Odonnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.84x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 476 7.84x
Lancashire 390 1.75x
Yorkshire 179 0.96x
Renfrewshire 159 10.93x
Middlesex 123 0.66x
Midlothian 56 2.23x
Surrey 54 0.59x
Durham 47 0.84x
Cheshire 44 1.06x
Dunbartonshire 43 8.52x
Hampshire 37 0.96x
Warwickshire 33 0.70x
Staffordshire 32 0.50x
West Lothian 31 10.96x
Kent 27 0.42x
Stirlingshire 25 3.61x
Gloucestershire 21 0.57x
Northumberland 21 0.75x
Shropshire 17 1.05x
Ayrshire 9 0.64x
Aberdeenshire 8 0.46x
East Lothian 7 2.81x
Glamorgan 7 0.21x
Peeblesshire 7 7.93x
Perthshire 7 0.83x
Royal Navy 6 2.68x
Suffolk 6 0.26x
Argyllshire 5 0.96x
Flintshire 5 0.99x
Monmouthshire 5 0.37x
Roxburghshire 5 1.47x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.40x
Channel Islands 3 0.54x
Cumberland 3 0.19x
Derbyshire 3 0.10x
Dorset 3 0.24x
Selkirkshire 3 1.77x
Leicestershire 2 0.10x
Somerset 2 0.07x
Wigtownshire 2 0.80x
Angus 1 0.06x
Berkshire 1 0.07x
Buteshire 1 0.88x
Denbighshire 1 0.14x
Devon 1 0.03x
Essex 1 0.03x
Hertfordshire 1 0.08x
Oxfordshire 1 0.09x
Worcestershire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 123 Odonnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.00x.

Place Total Index
Barony 123 8.00x
Liverpool 122 9.02x
Govan 113 7.52x
Glasgow 105 9.74x
West Greenock 40 15.31x
Middle Greenock 39 98.21x
Everton 34 4.79x
St Marylebone London 27 2.69x
Stockport 24 11.25x
Keighley 23 11.60x
Bonhill 22 27.16x
Maryhill 21 17.66x
Old Monkland 21 8.71x
Gateshead 20 4.78x
Manchester 20 2.00x
Campsie 19 49.99x
Horton In Bradford 19 6.54x
Leeds 19 1.81x
St Pancras London 19 1.26x
Bathgate 18 29.32x
Paisley High Church 17 14.67x
Edinburgh Canongate 16 24.99x
Hulme 16 3.44x
Hamilton 15 8.86x
Chorlton On Medlock 14 3.96x
Preston 14 2.35x
St Andrew Holborn 14 21.99x
Abbey 13 5.85x
Birmingham 13 0.82x
Blantyre 13 20.56x
Shotts 13 17.89x
Cambuslang 12 19.60x
Clifton 12 6.45x
Paisley Middle Church 12 14.16x
Battersea 11 1.59x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 11 1.09x
Stoke Upon Trent 11 1.64x
Wardleworth 11 8.64x
Deptford St Nicholas 10 19.67x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 10 4.13x
Lambeth 10 0.61x
Salford 10 1.53x
Edinburgh New North 9 41.11x
Toxteth Park 9 1.19x
Wandsworth 9 4.98x
Wigan 9 2.89x
York St George 9 61.39x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 8 2.46x
Bilston 8 6.51x
Bradford 8 1.78x
Camberwell 8 0.67x
Cowpen 8 12.43x
Gorbals 8 22.19x
Layton With Warbreck 8 9.78x
Newington 8 1.15x
Portsea 8 1.06x
Sheffield 8 1.35x
Southampton All Sts 8 12.11x
Sowerby In Halifax 8 13.15x
Whitton 8 181.82x
Alverstoke 7 5.02x
Blackburn 7 1.18x
Bootle Cum Linacre 7 3.96x
Cambusnethan 7 5.19x
Cardiff St Mary 7 3.89x
Haddington 7 19.06x
Houston Killallan 7 49.72x
Hunslet 7 2.41x
Limehouse London 7 3.40x
Newport 7 35.75x
Peebles 7 26.82x
Row 7 10.72x
Westminster St John 7 3.06x
Windle 7 5.58x
Wootton Wawen 7 46.92x
Carluke 6 10.88x
Chorley 6 4.80x
Coventry Holy Trinity 6 4.24x
East Greenock 6 4.37x
Saddleworth 6 4.18x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 126
Margaret 42
Ellen 41
Bridget 33
Catherine 30
Ann 27
Elizabeth 23
Sarah 18
Annie 16
Jane 14
Agnes 8
Eliza 8
Alice 7
Kate 7
Emma 6
Louisa 6
Isabella 5
Maria 5
Winifred 5
Anne 3
Catharine 3
Charlotte 3
Emily 3
Florence 3
Hannah 3
Lucy 3
Margt. 3
Norah 3
Edith 2
Elizth. 2
Grace 2
Harriet 2
Helen 2
Jessia 2
Julia 2
Louise 2
Martha 2
Miford 2
Rose 2
Teresa 2
Angelina 1
Bertha 1
Betsey 1
E.F. 1
Edward 1
Elina 1
Elisabeth 1
Helena 1
Honora 1
Honoria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 111
James 57
Patrick 46
Thomas 39
Michael 36
William 29
Edward 17
Charles 16
Henry 11
Daniel 9
George 8
Hugh 8
Joseph 8
Martin 7
Thos. 7
Peter 6
Anthony 5
Cornelius 5
Francis 5
Richard 5
Andrew 4
Frank 4
Owen 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Constantine 3
David 3
Dominick 3
Micheal 3
Michl. 3
Miles 3
Bernard 2
Chas. 2
Denis 2
Dennis 2
Dominic 2
Jeremiah 2
Luke 2
M. 2
Neal 2
Neil 2
Patk. 2
Stephen 2
Byron 1
Domnick 1
Ed. 1
Edmund 1
Edw. 1
Johnis 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Odonnell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Odonnell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,098 people were recorded with the Odonnell surname. That placed it at #1,452 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Odonnell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 15,455 in 2016. That gives Odonnell a modern rank of #408.

What does the Odonnell surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Domhnall," a personal name meaning "world ruler."

What does the Odonnell map show?

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