History of your Surname
Get access to Donning family records.Start a free trial

Donning Family History

Donning 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: Dorning, Ronning, Dunning, Downing, Lonning, Denning, Dinning

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Donning family from?

You can see how Donning families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Donning family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Donning families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there was 1 Donning family living in New York. This was about 33% of all the recorded Donning's in USA. New York and 2 other states had the highest population of Donning families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Donning surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Donning ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Donning. 27% of Donning men worked as a Farmer and 15% of Donning women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Donning were Mechanic and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Donning | 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.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    27%
  • Laborer
    22%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Mechanic
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    15%
  • Secretary
    12%
  • Teacher
    12%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Donning family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Donning. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Donning census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Donning

Passenger Lists

There are 762 immigration records available for the last name Donning. 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.

View all Donning immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 421 military records available for the last name Donning. For the veterans among your Donning ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Donning military records

You've only scratched the surface of Donning family history

Discover More

What is the average Donning lifespan?

Between 1963 and 1999, in the United States, Donning life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1986, and highest in 1993. The average life expectancy for Donning in 1963 was 79, and 92 in 1999.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Donning

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Donning family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Donning last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial