Explore the Family Name Donahue
The meaning of Donahue
Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Donnchadha ‘descendant of Donnchadh’, a personal name (sometimes Anglicized as Duncan in Scotland), composed of the elements donn ‘brown-haired man’ or ‘chieftain’ + cath ‘battle’. Some characteristic forenames: Irish Brendan, Aidan, Siobhan, Aileen, Conan, Fidelma, John Patrick, Kieran, Parnell.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Donahue in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Donahue has seen minor fluctuations between 2000 and 2010. In terms of rank, it dropped slightly from 1,026 in 2000 to 1,112 in 2010, representing a decrease of 8.38%. However, the number of people with this surname increased marginally by 1%, from 31,251 to 31,563 over the same period. Despite this, its proportion per 100,000 people declined by 7.6%, indicating that while more people bear the name Donahue, its overall prevalence in the population has diminished.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,026 | #1,112 | -8.38% |
| Count | 31,251 | 31,563 | 1% |
| Proportion per 100k | 11.58 | 10.7 | -7.6% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Donahue
Turning to ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some interesting shifts for the surname Donahue. While the majority identifying as white decreased slightly from 93.76% to 92.35% over the decade, there were notable increases among other groups. The percentage of people with this surname identifying as Hispanic saw the most significant increase, rising by 46.48%. This was followed by those identifying with two or more ethnicities, which increased by 32.65%. Additionally, Asians/Pacific Islanders, Blacks, and American Indian and Alaskan Natives also saw increases in their percentages, albeit less dramatically.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.76% | 92.35% | -1.5% |
| Black | 2.72% | 2.98% | 9.56% |
| Hispanic | 1.42% | 2.08% | 46.48% |
| Two or More Races | 0.98% | 1.3% | 32.65% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.72% | 0.78% | 8.33% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.4% | 0.51% | 27.5% |
Donahue ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Donahue is British & Irish, which comprises 57.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.6%) and Eastern European (5.7%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 57.5% |
| French & German | 17.6% |
| Eastern European | 5.7% |
| Other | 19.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Donahue
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Donahue have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 87.70% |
What Donahue haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Donahue is R-L21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-L20, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Donohue, Mcdonald, Conner, Morris, Hughes, Evans, Lewis, Obrien, Connors, Morgan.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Donahue surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Donahue have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Donahue" Surname 37.2%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Donahue" Surname 24.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Donahue" Surname 18.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Donahue" Surname 19.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Donahue?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Donahue are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition