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Donnelly Family History

Donnelly Name Meaning

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Donnghaile ‘descendant of Donnghal’ a personal name composed of the elements donn ‘brown-haired man’ or ‘chieftain’ + gal ‘valor’. It is claimed that most bearers of this surname in Donegal descend from Donnghal O'Neill 17th in descent from Niall of the Nine Hostages; there were also other families of the same name in Sligo and Cork.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Fennell, Connolly, Hennelly, Donnell, Donnellon, Donnellan, Munnelly

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Where is the Donnelly family from?

You can see how Donnelly families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Donnelly family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Donnelly families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 402 Donnelly families living in Ontario. This was about 51% of all the recorded Donnelly's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Donnelly families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Donnelly surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Donnelly ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Donnelly. 45% of Donnelly men worked as a Farmer and 13% of Donnelly women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Donnelly were Clerk and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Donnelly | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    45%
  • Labourer
    11%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Clerk
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    13%
  • Housekeeper
    13%
  • Housewife
    10%
  • Teacher
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Donnelly family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 277,000 census records available for the last name Donnelly. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Donnelly census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Donnelly

Passenger Lists

There are 63,000 immigration records available for the last name Donnelly. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 55,000 military records available for the last name Donnelly. For the veterans among your Donnelly ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Donnelly lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Donnelly life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Donnelly in 1941 was 31, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Donnelly

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