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Donlay Family History

Donlay Name 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: Donnay, Dunlay, Donley, Donlan, Donat, Conway, Dollar, Monday, Dunay

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Donlay family from?

You can see how Donlay families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Donlay family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1851 and 1920. The most Donlay families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 3 Donlay families living in Northumberland. This was 100% of all the recorded Donlay's in United Kingdom. Northumberland had the highest population of Donlay families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Donlay surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Donlay ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the USA named Donlay. 34% of Donlay men worked as a Farmer. .

View Census Data for Donlay | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    34%
  • Laborer
    20%
  • Truck Driver
    20%
  • Foreman
    14%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Donlay family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 803 census records available for the last name Donlay. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Donlay census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Donlay

Passenger Lists

There are 129 immigration records available for the last name Donlay. 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 Donlay immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 144 military records available for the last name Donlay. For the veterans among your Donlay ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Donlay military records

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What is the average Donlay lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2001, in the United States, Donlay life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1974, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Donlay in 1950 was 62, and 80 in 2001.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Donlay

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Donlay family tree

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