Parent’s name
O'Donnell surname meaning
An Irish surname from Gaelic Ó Domhnaill, “descendant of Domhnall,” a personal name often glossed as “world-mighty.”
The short story
O’Donnell is the familiar English spelling of Irish Ó Domhnaill, “descendant of Domhnall.” Domhnall is an old Gaelic personal name whose elements are usually read as “world” and “mighty” or “rule.” The Ó prefix marks a male-line descendant, so the surname is a classic patronymic rather than a place or occupation. US Census records often strip the apostrophe to ODONNELL; Donnell and McDonnell are related but not identical formulas. Parent’s name is the right type, and the Domhnall descent meaning is well attested.
Also seen as: O'Donnell, Odonnell, Donnell, McDonnell
Sources used
- Ancestry / DAFN surname meaning for O'Donnell (Ó Domhnaill; Domhnall)
- Irish surname references for Ó Domhnaill / O'Donnell (Tyrconnell association)
- Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)