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Donegan Family History

Donegan Name Meaning

Irish (Cork and Meath): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Donnagáin ‘descendant of Donnagán’ a personal name from a double diminutive of donn ‘brown-haired man’ or ‘chieftain’.

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


Similar surnames: Donovan, Donnan, Donelan, Dungan, Dorgan, Lonergan, Ronan, Monahan

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 Donegan family from?

You can see how Donegan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Donegan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Donegan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 83 Donegan families living in Lancashire. This was about 35% of all the recorded Donegan's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Donegan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Donegan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Donegan ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Donegan. 40% of Donegan men worked as a General Labourer and 66% of Donegan women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Donegan were Builders Labourer and Waitress. .

View Census Data for Donegan | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    40%
  • School Caretaker
    20%
  • House Painter
    20%
  • Builders Labourer
    20%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    66%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Domestic Servant
    4%
  • Waitress
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Donegan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 29,000 census records available for the last name Donegan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Donegan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Donegan

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Donegan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Donegan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Donegan. For the veterans among your Donegan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Donegan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Donegan family history

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What is the average Donegan lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Donegan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Donegan in 1944 was 43, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Donegan

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