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Donner Family History

Donner Surname Meaning

German: nickname for a loud or irascible man from Middle High German doner ‘thunder’ (Old High German thonar).

Jewish (Ashkenazic): adoption of German Donner ‘thunder’ as a surname (compare 1 above).

English (Lincolnshire): of Norman origin, a nickname from Anglo-Norman donour ‘giver, granter, generous, open-handed person’.

Americanized form of French Canadian Daunais or Donais.

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


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Where is the Donner family from?

You can see how Donner families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Donner family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Donner families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 86 Donner families living in Lincolnshire. This was about 38% of all the recorded Donner's in United Kingdom. Lincolnshire had the highest population of Donner families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Donner 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 Donner 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 Donner. 100% of Donner men worked as a General Labourer and 82% of Donner women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Donner | 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
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    82%
  • Private Means
    10%
  • House Duties
    4%
  • Paid Housekeeper
    4%

What Donner family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 28,000 census records available for the last name Donner. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Donner census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Donner

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Donner. 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 Donner immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Donner. For the veterans among your Donner ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Donner military records

You've only scratched the surface of Donner family history

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What is the average Donner lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Donner life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Donner in 1956 was 54, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Donner

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Donner 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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