Donnellan Surname History

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Donnellan

What does the name Donnellan mean?

Many variations of the name Donnellan have evolved since the time of its initial creation. In Gaelic it appeared as Ó Domhnallain, derived from the personal name of Domhallan, Lord of Clan Breasail, from whom the sept claims descent. 1

Early Origins of the Donnellan family

The surname Donnellan was first found in Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Donnellan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Donnellan research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1588, 1609, 1616, 1640, 1649, 1660, 1665 and 1705 are included under the topic Early Donnellan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Donnellan Spelling Variations

Pronunciation, rather than spelling, guided scribes and church officials when recording names during the Middle Ages. This practice often resulted in one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Donnellan are preserved in these old documents. The various spellings of the name that were found include Donellan, Donnellan, Donnelan, Donelan, Donnellin, Donellin and many more.

Early Notables of the Donnellan family

His first son was Nehemiah Donnellan (1649-1705), was an Irish lawyer and judge and his second son, Edmund Donellan, was an Irish Anglican clergyman, Archdeacon of Cashel (1616-1640.)
Sir James Donnellan (c. 1588-1665), was an Irish lawyer and politician, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in 1660, Privy Counsellor of Ireland

Donnellan Ranking

the United States, the name Donnellan is the 17,795^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Donnellan migration to the United States +

A massive amount of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century for North America and Australia in hopes of finding more opportunities and an escape from discrimination and oppression. A great portion of these migrants arrived on the eastern shores of the North American continent. Although they were generally poor and destitute, and, therefore, again discriminated against, these Irish people were heartily welcomed for the hard labor involved in the construction of railroads, canals, roadways, and buildings. Many others were put to work in the newly established factories or agricultural projects that were so essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the world. The Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s initiated the largest wave of Iris immigration. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Donnellan or a variant listed above:

Donnellan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Martin Donnellan, aged 32, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 3
Catherine Donnellan, aged 55, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 3
John Donnellan, who arrived in New York in 1851 3
Edward Donnellan, who landed in Ohio in 1888 3

Donnellan migration to Canada +

Donnellan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Miss Catherine Donnellan, aged 7 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Naomi" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 4
Mr. Luke Donnellan, aged 30 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Naomi" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 4
Mr. Peter Donnellan, aged 22 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Sarah" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in July 1847 4
Catherine Donnellan, who settled in Quebec in 1848

Donnellan migration to Australia +

Donnellan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr.James Donnellan, (Donnell), (b. 1793), aged 26, Irish plasterer and tiler who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Bencoolen" on 24th April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Margaret Donnellan, aged 20, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Gloucester" 6
Biddy Donnellan, aged 22, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Gloucester" 6
Anne Donnellan, aged 20, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Coromandel" 7
Michael Donnellan, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Nabob"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Donnellan (post 1700) +

Keith Donnellan (b. 1931), American Professor Emeritus at the University of California
Michael Donnellan (1900-1964), Irish Clann na Talmhan politician
John F Donnellan (b. 1937), former Irish Fine Gael party politician who served for nearly thirty years in Dáil Éireann
Philip Donnellan (1924-1999), English documentary film-maker
DeClan Donnellan (b. 1953), British theatre director and writer

Sources +

MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 25)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bencoolen
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) GLOUCESTER 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/anglia1852.shtmL
South Australian Register Tuesday 9th January 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Coromandel 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/coromandel1855.shtml