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O'donnell Family History

O'donnell Surname Meaning

Irish (Donegal, Munster): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Domhnaill ‘descendant of Domhnall’ (see McDonnell).

This name is borne by several different Irish families.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


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Where is the O'donnell family from?

You can see how O'donnell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The O'donnell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most O'donnell families were found in USA in 1880. In 1880 there were 1,029 O'donnell families living in New York. This was about 17% of all the recorded O'donnell's in USA. New York had the highest population of O'donnell families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the O'donnell surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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Census Records

There are 298,000 census records available for the last name O'donnell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, O'donnell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 74,000 immigration records available for the last name O'donnell. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 60,000 military records available for the last name O'donnell. For the veterans among your O'donnell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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