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Donelan Family History

Donelan Surname Meaning

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

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


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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 1891 there were 31 Donelan families living in Lancashire. This was about 54% of all the recorded Donelan's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Donelan families in 1891.
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.
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What did your Donelan 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 Donelan. 25% of Donelan men worked as a General Labourer and 93% of Donelan women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Donelan were Builders Labourer and Housewife.

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.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    25%
  • Farm Labourer
    25%
  • General Labourer H W
    25%
  • Builders Labourer
    25%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    93%
  • Housewife
    8%

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 UK 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 the UK, 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

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Donelan 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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