Explore the Family Name O’donald
The meaning of O’donald
Irish: Scotticized form of O’Donnell. The Irish personal name Domhnall was Latinized as Donaldus, which is the source of Donald, the form of the personal name used in English in Scotland, though not in Ireland. The form O’Donald is therefore a 19th-century hybrid. Compare Donald.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name O’donald in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname O’Donald has seen a slight decrease in its rank from 2000 to 2010, moving from 36,531 to 37,076. This change represents a drop of 1.49%. However, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased by 4.15% during the same period, rising from 578 to 602. The proportion per 100,000 people saw a small decline of 4.76%, going from 0.21 to 0.20.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #36,531 | #37,076 | -1.49% |
| Count | 578 | 602 | 4.15% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.21 | 0.2 | -4.76% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name O’donald
The U.S. Decennial Census data also provides valuable insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname O'Donald. In 2000, the majority of individuals bearing this last name identified as White (89.79%), followed by Black (6.75%), Hispanic (1.73%) and those who reported belonging to two or more races (0.87%). By 2010, there were notable shifts in the distribution. While the majority still identified as White, the percentage declined to 86.21%. The percentages of those identifying as Black and Hispanic rose significantly to 8.97% and 2.16% respectively. Notably, the proportion of individuals reporting two or more races had an impressive increase of over 90%, reaching 1.66%. No data was reported for Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native categories in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.79% | 86.21% | -3.99% |
| Black | 6.75% | 8.97% | 32.89% |
| Hispanic | 1.73% | 2.16% | 24.86% |
| Two or More Races | 0.87% | 1.66% | 90.8% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |