The Donaldson surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 36,558 people carried this name — #950 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 8,070 people counted. That is up 3% from 35,387 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Donaldson surname
A surname originating as a patronymic.
From Donald + -son.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Donaldson» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 33 births for the Donaldson name in 1890.
Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 1,500 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim and Armagh.”
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 45 people named Donaldson live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in City of Buenos Aires.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
43 people named Donaldson live in Switzerland.
They live in 5 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Vaud.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 21 people named Donaldson.
Most of them — 15 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 2 départements, most often Paris.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In the Nordic population registers
53 people named Donaldson is counted in Sweden.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).
In Scotland, 1880s
Donaldson was 14 in every 10,000 names in Scotland.
That is about 1 in 714. Its home there, in Guppy’s words: “Perthshire.” He counted the more than 20,000 names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, taking Scotland as a whole, and listed only the names that reached 10 in every 10,000.
H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), appendix: alphabetical list of the most frequent Scottish names, p. 588 — public domain · names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, per 10,000 for the whole country.
In Scotland’s registers today
Donaldson was recorded 186 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.
That made it the 112th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 281. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.
National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
In the first U.S. census, 1790
76 families named Donaldson, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.
Each family is counted by its head. About 471 people lived in those households, 6.2 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 7 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.
Families, by state
U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 237 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.
In print
Donaldson in American newspapers,
1903–1907.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 225,149 pages in all carry the name.
In print
Donaldson in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2010s.
127,767 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Donaldson. The most, 21,840, date from the 1900s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.3 times its expected share.
Articles, by state
Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Donaldson.
Who carried it
People named Donaldson,
with a public archive behind them.
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Mary Ann Donaldson 1798–1881 · teacher -
James Lowry Donaldson 1814–1885 · military officer -
Samuel C. Donaldson 1821–1898 · librarian -
Hugh S. Donaldson 1832–1904 · politician -
John Donaldson 1841–1896 · politician
Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped — James Lowry Donaldson: Brady--photographer, CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0); the others are in the public domain or CC0 · 320 lives in all are documented under this name.
In the public record
People named Donaldson,
in the records of 8 countries.
Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.
United States4,126 records
- U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,233
- New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 955
- Other U.S. records 1,938
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Example: U.S. war memorial War record James Allen DonaldsonBorn 1947; from St Louis, Missouri. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.
U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) -
Example: U.S. registration card, 1942 Military record Leonard A. DonaldsonBorn 1919 in Michigan. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Custer; rubber worker from Kent County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at Crandall Cemetery, Sand Lake, Michigan.
U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) -
Example: passenger manifest, 1903 Passenger record Mary-Jane DonaldsonArrived at New York in 1851 aboard the Emma Watts from Antwerp, aged 32; merchant. From London, England.
U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
Showing 3 of 4,126 records for Donaldson in the United States.
Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · Ramsey County, Minnesota (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).
Australia3,082 records
- Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 1,506
- Queensland State Archives indexes 531
- Other Australian records 1,045
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Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829 Transportation record Susan DonaldsonTransported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Navarino, sailing from London in 1840. Native of Glasgow, Lanarkshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1844. Married 1844 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 22.
Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: probate petition, 1848 Probate record Alexander DonaldsonDied 1868 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 76. Will registered in Tasmania in 1868.
Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: marriage register, 1911 Marriage record Harriet Louisa DonaldsonBorn 1857 in Richmond, Tasmania. Married 1875 in Hamilton, Tasmania, aged 18.
Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
Showing 3 of 3,082 records for Donaldson in Australia.
Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).
Canada560 records
- Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 262
- Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 113
- Other Canadian records 185
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Example: passenger manifest, 1903 Passenger record Grossley DonaldsonCame to Ontario in 1874 aboard the Circassian, bound for Rockwood, Ontario; Irish.
Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. -
Example: Canadian cemetery Burial record Frank DonaldsonBuried in 1958 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 59.
Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. -
Example: Canadian cemetery Burial record Gordon Leon DonaldsonBuried in 1997 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 67.
City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
Showing 3 of 560 records for Donaldson in Canada.
Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).
United Kingdom461 records
- Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 219
- Stirling Council burial records 179
- Other British records 63
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Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919 War record Willie DonaldsonBorn 1889 at Elgin; blacksmith. Served in the First World War. Named in the Morayshire roll of honour (1921).
National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) -
Example: burial register, 1858 Burial record William DonaldsonDied 1939, aged 86; buried at Logie Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.
Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. -
Example: probate petition, 1848 Probate record Kate McPherson DonaldsonWill proved in 1936; of Dundee, Forfar.
National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
Showing 3 of 461 records for Donaldson in the United Kingdom.
Counts: National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).
New Zealand97 records
- Christchurch City cemetery records 73
- Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 15
- Other New Zealand records 9
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Example: burial register, 1858 Burial record Mary DonaldsonDied 1963, aged 53; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.
Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: burial register, 1858 Burial record Ngaire June DonaldsonDied 1995, aged 66; buried at Tairua Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.
Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: burial register, 1858 Burial record Pearl Mabel DonaldsonDied 1958, aged 56; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.
Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
Showing 3 of 97 records for Donaldson in New Zealand.
Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).
Netherlands28 records
- Dutch church registers before 1811 21
- Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 5
- Dutch population registers 2
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Example: marriage register, 1911 Marriage record Hendrie DonaldsonMarried in 1744 in Rotterdam; soldier.
Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: civil register, 1880 Death record Mavis DonaldsonDied 1946 in Rhenen, aged 26.
Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: marriage register, 1911 Marriage record Jack DonaldsonMarried in 1940 in Amsterdam; "beursbediende".
Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
Showing 3 of 28 records for Donaldson in the Netherlands.
Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).
France7 records
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Example: French death register, 1930 Death record Jacques DonaldsonBorn 1945 in Paris; died 1972 in the Netherlands.
Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte) -
Example: French death register, 1930 Death record Georgina Gordon DonaldsonBorn 1913 in Great Britain; died 1994 in Solliès-Toucas (Var).
Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
Showing 2 of 7 records for Donaldson in France.
Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).
Ireland1 record
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Example: burial register, 1858 Burial record Delia DonaldsonDied 1908, aged 24; buried at Killererin (Old), Co. Galway.
Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Donaldson.
- Don 2,076 · U.S. census
- Dona 807 · U.S. census
- Donabedian 293 · U.S. census
- Donadio 1,064 · U.S. census
- Donahue 31,563 · U.S. census
- Donald 12,367 · U.S. census
- Donat 1,192 · U.S. census
- Donate 637 · U.S. census
- Donath 1,035 · U.S. census
- Donati 1,522 · U.S. census
- Donatien 179 · U.S. census
- Donato 7,823 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
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