DONOHOE
Donohoe is an Irish surname of Gaelic origin. It is derived from the name Donnchadh, a compound of donn meaning “brown” and chadh meaning “warrior.” The literal translation of the name is therefore “brown warrior.” The surname is patronymic, signalling that it was originally used to identify the descendants of an ancestor named Donnchadh.
The earliest recorded instance of the name is that of Teag O’Donnchadha of Jerpoint in the year 1150, as noted in the Ancient Annals of Kilkenny during the reign of Turlough Mor O’Connor, who reigned as High King of Ireland from 1119 to 1156.
Over the centuries the surname has appeared in a number of spellings. The original Gaelic form Ó Donnchadha has been preserved in various anglicised versions, including O’Donoghue, O’Donohue, Donohoe, Donohue, Donaghy and Donahue. Other forms that share the same root are Donahoo, Donahoe, Donohoo, Donahugh, Donnaghue, Donohew and Donoy.
In Ireland the surname is especially common in the northern province, with a large concentration in County Donegal. It also has significant roots in the provinces of Munster and Leinster. Within Munster, members of the O’Donoghue sept were a prominent family in the ancient territory of Desmond, situated in present‑day County Cork and County Kerry. The Desmond O’Donoghues were at one time divided into two distinct septs: O’Donoghue Mor, whose seat was at Ross Castle near Killarney, and O’Donoghue of the Glen, who were entitled to the hereditary title “The O’Donoghue.” The poet Geoffrey O’Donoghue of the Glen, a notable figure of the 17th century, died in 1678.
From the early 18th century, the name was recorded in England; for example, Elizabeth Donoghue was christened at St. Botolphs‑without‑Aldgate in London on 22 February 1779.
During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries many families bearing the name emigrated from Ireland. A significant number settled in the United States, where census records from the late 19th and early 20th centuries show the surname distributed across the Northeast and Midwest, and in major Irish‑heritage cities such as Boston, Chicago, New York City and Philadelphia. In contemporary Ireland, a 2020 telephone directory lists more than 1,000 entries with the surname Donohoe, indicating that it remains a prevalent family name.
In recent years a number of individuals with the surname have achieved public recognition. Among them are actor and director Chris Donohoe and journalist Jack Donohoe. These contemporary figures illustrate that the Donohoe family continues to play an active role in cultural and professional life.
Typical given names associated with the Donohoe surname
Male
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Martin
- Michael
- Patrick
- Paul
- Peter
- Stephen
- Thomas
Female
- Anne
- Bernadette
- Carol
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Gillian
- Karen
- Laura
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Pauline
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Donahoe
- Donaghue
- Donahue
- Dunphey
- Dunphy
- Donoghue
- Dumphy
- Donohue
- Donhoe
- Donaghey
- Donaghy
- Donahoo
- Donachie
- Donaho
- Donahy
- Donehoe
- Donoho
- Donohoa
- Dagnah
- Danah
- Danh
- Danha
- Dannah
- Deenah
- Dehneh
- Denha
- Dinah
- Dinh
- Dinha
- Donah
- Donahie
- Donahu
- Donehue
- Donhou
- Donhow
- Donhue
- Donnahoe
- Donnahue
- Donnohoe
- Donnohue
- Donoghe
- Donoghey
- Donoghie
- Donoghoe
- Donohe
- Donoher
- Donohew
- Donohoo
- Donohou
- Donohoue
- Donohough
- Donohow
- Donohu
- Donohugh
- Donohve
- Donoso
- Donoughe
- Donoughey
- Donoughue
- Donoughy
- Donowho
- Donuhue
- Dunahoe
- Dunhue
- Dunneh
- Dunohoe
- Tanha
- Tannah
- Tanoh
- Tengnah
- Tunah
- Tunnah
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Donohoe in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 2,682 people named Donohoe in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,323rd most common surname in Britain. Around 41 in a million people in Britain are named Donohoe.
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Donohoe
- Amanda Donohoe - Actress
- Peter Donohoe - Pianist
- Brian Donohoe - Politician
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.