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Donnan Family History

Donnan Name Meaning

Irish (County Down): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Donnáin ‘descendant of Donnán’ a diminutive of donn ‘brown-haired man’ or ‘chieftain’. This surname is often confused with Doonan .

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


Similar surnames: Dornan, Doonan, Donovan, Duncan, Doran, Donlon, Noonan, Conran

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Donnan family from?

You can see how Donnan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Donnan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Donnan families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 14 Donnan families living in Ontario. This was about 23% of all the recorded Donnan's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Donnan families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Donnan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Donnan ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Saleslady were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Donnan. 59% of Donnan men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Donnan women worked as a Saleslady. .

View Census Data for Donnan | 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
    59%
  • Laborer
    25%
  • Dairyman
    17%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Saleslady
    100%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Donnan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 17,000 census records available for the last name Donnan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Donnan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Donnan

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Donnan. 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.

View all Donnan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Donnan. For the veterans among your Donnan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Donnan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Donnan family history

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What is the average Donnan lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Donnan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Donnan in 1953 was 41, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Donnan

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