Surname Donelly - Meaning and Origin

Donelly: What does the surname Donelly mean?

The surname Donelly is an Irish name, derived from the Irish Gaelic name 'O Donndubhaigh'. It is thought to have been first used in the Donegal region, although it can now be found throughout Ireland as well as Britain, North America, and other countries.

The literal meaning of Donelly is 'descendant of Donndubhach' and this is thought to mean 'Brave Lord', or 'world ruler'. It is also claimed that it is derived from the King of Ulster's name 'Aodh-Donn-Dubh', which translates as 'Dark Aodh'. It is possible that the Donelly family had a noble background, as the name obviously carries a strong meaning.

The Donelly name is associated with strong Irish identity, as those who are descended from Donelly are likely to have strong links to Ireland; something that will still be seen or celebrated in Irish families today. The Donelly name itself is thought to be connected to Gaelic culture and legend, as an ancient King who was well regarded in the Donegal region.

Today, the Donelly name is still relatively common in Ireland, with 8,479 Donelly's listed on the 1916 census. As a surname in Ireland, Donelly is ranked 54th in terms of popularity. It is therefore fairly unique in comparison to other Irish surnames, and is likely to be recognisable to those with some knowledge of Irish culture.

Donelly: Where does the name Donelly come from?

Donelly is a surname of Irish origins which is largely associated with County Donegal. Today Donelly is most commonly found in Ireland and countries with significant Irish populations, particularly the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and Canada.

In Ireland, Donelly is the fifth most common surname — particularly in Ulster, with 45,888 bearers in the Republic of Ireland and 8,371 in Northern Ireland in the 1881 Census of Ireland. In England and Wales, Donelly appears to be more localized, primarily in Lancashire and the East Midlands region.

In Canada, Donelly is the 22nd most common surname in the nation, largely concentrated in Ontario, where the majority of the 16,313 bearers in Canada were found in the 2006 Canadian census. The United States Census Bureau estimates close to 20,000 people to be living with the Donelly surname in the United States.

Outside of the traditional settlements, Donelly can be found in other countries in smaller numbers. Australia has the largest population of Donelly surname holders outside of the United Kingdom, with 2,111 recorded in the 2016 census. In contrast, Germany has only 103 recorded surnames, while South Africa has just 229 recorded Donellys.

In total, over 100,000 people around the world bear the Donelly surname, predominantly descended from Irish immigrants looking for a better quality of life.

Variations of the surname Donelly

Donelly is a relatively common surname of Irish origin. It is derived from the O'Donnell family of County Donegal in Ireland. The O'Donnell family has many variants of the name, including Ó Domhnaill, which is the Gaelic spelling.

Variants of the surname Donelly include O'Donelly, Donley, Donnely, Dornelly, and Donnelley. These variations of the same spelling usually arose when immigrants with similar-sounding surnames came to different countries and their names were changed by officials on different occasions.

Other spellings of the Donelly surname include Ó Donnghaile, Ó Dhonnghaile, O'Donnelley, Donelley, Donnerley, Donnerly, Dunnely, Donally, Donally, Donally, Donnelly, Donelley, Donely, Donley, Donaley, and Donelly.

The surname Donelly is also found in some countries outside of Ireland. In England, the Donelly family can be found in Yorkshire; in Scotland, it is generally located along the Scottish-Irish border; and in Wales it is in the towns of Caernarfon and Conwy.

The variants of Donelly, and some of its common surnames, can all be traced back to different branches of the O'Donnell family. While there are other variants of the surname, it is believed the root origin lies in County Donegal in Ireland.

Famous people with the name Donelly

• Stephen Donelly: Northern Irish politician; Democratic Unionist Party spokesman for Health and Social Care
• Gerry Donelly: Founder of the London-based photographic production company Donelly + Associates
• Mary Donelly: Dutch-born Irish actress best known for her appearances on several television series
• Paul Donelly: British author, producer, and entrepreneur, known for his books on marketing and photography
• Liz Donelly: American children's and young-adult author, best known for her critically acclaimed book series The Girl from Mars
• Brendan Donelly: Australian professor, awarded the Australia Day Achievement Medallion for his commitment to the development of novel antibody therapeutics
• Ronan Donelly: Irish Fianna Fáil politician and Cllr in Tipperary South
• Jim Donelly: American baseball player who played for the Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and Detroit Tigers
• Fred Donelly: American professor and Director of the Botany Department at the University of Maine
• Sean Donelly: American actor and comedian, best known for his critically-acclaimed stand-up comedy specials and appearances on late-night talk shows

Other surnames

DonelanDonellDonelson