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Donald Family History

Donald Surname Meaning

Scottish: shortened form of McDonald (Mac Dhomhnaill) from the Gaelic personal name Domhnall; found in 13th- and 14th-century Scotland as Dofnald Douenald Dufenald and Donald.

Irish (Ulster): possibly also a shortened and altered form of Irish O'Donell.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Donald family from?

You can see how Donald families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Donald family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Donald families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 654 Donald families living in London. This was about 26% of all the recorded Donald's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Donald families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Donald 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 Donald 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 Donald. 12% of Donald men worked as a General Labourer and 69% of Donald women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Donald were Plumber and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Donald | 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
    12%
  • Coal Hewer
    5%
  • Motor Driver
    4%
  • Plumber
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%

What Donald family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 738,000 census records available for the last name Donald. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Donald census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Donald

Passenger Lists

There are 111,000 immigration records available for the last name Donald. 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 Donald immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 89,000 military records available for the last name Donald. For the veterans among your Donald ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Donald military records

You've only scratched the surface of Donald family history

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What is the average Donald lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Donald life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1956. The average life expectancy for Donald in 1945 was 26, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Donald

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Donald ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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