Donnell
A shortened form of O'Donnell, the Irish surname meaning “descendant of Domhnall.”
The #5,361 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 47,543 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Donnell is generally a reduced form of the Irish surname O'Donnell, from Ó Domhnaill, meaning “descendant of Domhnall.” The personal name Domhnall is commonly explained as “world-ruler” or “mighty ruler,” from old Celtic elements meaning “world” and “rule” or “power.” In Irish usage, the surname was often shortened by dropping the prefix Ó, especially in English-language records.
History
The name is strongly associated with the great O'Donnell kindred of Ulster, one of the best-known Gaelic dynasties in Irish history. Historical records also show that some Irish families later used Donnell as a simplified form of O'Donnell, with the prefix omitted in anglicized or official contexts. The surname is therefore both a Gaelic patronymic and, in modern usage, a common reduced spelling of a longer Irish name.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Historical indexing systems often treated O'Donnell and Donnell as connected forms, because many families dropped the prefix O in everyday use.
From the historical record
“486 DONNELL. Dow da. Dermid. Doig. [Daniel]. 32ft Dowds. 433.”
— Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland