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Donelan Family History

Donelan Name Meaning

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Domhnalláin (see Donlon ).

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


Similar surnames: Donegan, Donnellan, Donlon, Donnan, Donovan, Donlan, Conlan, Dolan

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 Donelan family from?

You can see how Donelan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Donelan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Donelan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 4 Donelan families living in Ontario. This was about 67% of all the recorded Donelan's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Donelan families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Donelan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Donelan ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Donelan. 17% of Donelan men worked as a Laborer and 26% of Donelan women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Donelan were Clerk and Bookkeeper. .

View Census Data for Donelan | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    17%
  • Farmer
    10%
  • Salesman
    10%
  • Clerk
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Clerk
    26%
  • Stenographer
    23%
  • Teacher
    17%
  • Bookkeeper
    17%
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What Donelan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Donelan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Donelan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Donelan

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Donelan. 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 Donelan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 866 military records available for the last name Donelan. For the veterans among your Donelan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Donelan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Donelan family history

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What is the average Donelan lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Donelan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1964, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Donelan in 1957 was 53, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Donelan

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