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Donegal Family History

Donegal 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: Donegan, Dolezal, Konefal, Donelan, Senegal, Sinegal, Dougal, Donigan

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Donegal family from?

You can see how Donegal families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Donegal family name was found in the USA, and Scotland between 1861 and 1920. The most Donegal families were found in and USA in 1880. In 1880 there was 1 Donegal family living in Louisiana. This was about 25% of all the recorded Donegal's in USA. Louisiana and 3 other states had the highest population of Donegal families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Donegal surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Donegal ancestors do for a living?

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Donegal ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

What Donegal family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 503 census records available for the last name Donegal. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Donegal census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Donegal

Passenger Lists

There are 776 immigration records available for the last name Donegal. 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 Donegal immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 160 military records available for the last name Donegal. For the veterans among your Donegal ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Donegal military records

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What is the average Donegal lifespan?

Between 1993 and 2004, in the United States, Donegal life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2001, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Donegal in 1993 was 33, and 84 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Donegal

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Donegal family tree

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