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Donaldson Family History

Donaldson Surname Meaning

Scottish: patronymic from Donald generally representing an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Dhomhnaill (see McDonald).

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


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Where is the Donaldson family from?

You can see how Donaldson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Donaldson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Donaldson families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 489 Donaldson families living in Lancashire. This was about 19% of all the recorded Donaldson's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Donaldson families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Donaldson 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 Donaldson 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 Donaldson. 16% of Donaldson men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Donaldson women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Donaldson were Bricklayer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Donaldson | 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
    16%
  • Incapacitated
    5%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Donaldson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 311,000 census records available for the last name Donaldson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Donaldson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Donaldson

Passenger Lists

There are 49,000 immigration records available for the last name Donaldson. 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 Donaldson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 47,000 military records available for the last name Donaldson. For the veterans among your Donaldson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Donaldson military records

You've only scratched the surface of Donaldson family history

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What is the average Donaldson lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Donaldson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Donaldson in 1940 was 54, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Donaldson

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Donaldson 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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