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O'donelly Family History

O'donelly Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Donnelly, O'donnell, Mcdonell, O'connell, Mcdowell, Hennelly, Dovell

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the O'donelly family from?

You can see how O'donelly families moved over time by selecting different census years. The O'donelly family name was found in Scotland between 1871 and 1901. The most O'donelly families were found in and Scotland in 1871. In 1871 there was 1 O'donelly family living in Dumbartonshire. This was 100% of all the recorded O'donelly's in Scotland. Dumbartonshire had the highest population of O'donelly families in 1871.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the O'donelly surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1871
  • 1891
  • 1901
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What O'donelly family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 115 census records available for the last name O'donelly. Like a window into their day-to-day life, O'donelly census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for O'donelly

Passenger Lists

There are 16 immigration records available for the last name O'donelly. 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 O'donelly immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 24 military records available for the last name O'donelly. For the veterans among your O'donelly ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all O'donelly military records

You've only scratched the surface of O'donelly family history

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What is the average O'donelly lifespan?

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your O'donelly 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.

Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for O'donelly

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