Donaldson is a Scottish and Irish patronymic surname meaning "son of Donald". It is a simpler Anglicized variant for the name MacDonald. Notable people with the surname include:

A

  • Alastair Donaldson (1955–2013), Scottish musician
  • Alex Donaldson (1890–1972), Scottish footballer
  • Alexander Donaldson (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Ally Donaldson (born 1943), Scottish footballer
  • Andrea Donaldson, Canadian theatre director
  • Andrew Brown Donaldson (1840–1919), English artist
  • Andrew Donaldson (footballer, born 1884) (fl. 1910s), Scottish footballer
  • Andy Donaldson (English footballer) (1925–1987), English footballer
  • Arthur Donaldson (1901–1993), Scottish politician and journalist
  • Arthur Donaldson (actor) (1869–1955), Swedish-American actor

B

  • Ben Donaldson (rugby league), Australian rugby league player
  • Bob Donaldson (1868–1947), Scottish footballer
  • Blake F. Donaldson (1892–1966), American Physician
  • Bobby Donaldson (1922–1971), American drummer
  • Brittni Donaldson (born 1993), American basketball coach
  • Bruce Donaldson (politician) (born 1938), Australian politician

C

  • Charles Edward McArthur Donaldson (1903–1964), Scottish politician
  • Chris Donaldson (born 1975), New Zealand sprinter
  • CJ Donaldson (born 2004), American football player
  • Clayton Donaldson (born 1984), English footballer
  • Clyde Donaldson (1894–1979), Australian rules footballer
  • Colby Donaldson (born 1974), American television actor

D

  • Dave Donaldson (footballer born 1954), English footballer
  • Dave Donaldson (footballer born 1941), English footballer
  • David Donaldson (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Denis Donaldson (1950–2006), Northern Irish volunteer in the Provisional IRA and a member of Sinn Féin
  • Doug Donaldson (born 1957), Canadian politician

E

  • Ed Donaldson (born 1959), American boxer
  • Edward Donaldson (1816–1889), American naval officer
  • Edward Mortlock Donaldson (1912–1992), British flying ace
  • Elena Donaldson-Akhmilovskaya (1957–2012), Russian chess player
  • Eric Donaldson (born 1947), Jamaican singer-songwriter

F

  • Frances Donaldson (née Lonsdale, 1907–1994), British writer and biographer
  • Fred Donaldson (1937–2018), English footballer

G

  • Gary Donaldson (born 1952), Canadian ice hockey player
  • Glenn Donaldson, American musician
  • Gordon Donaldson (1913–1993), Scottish historian
  • Gordon Donaldson (journalist) (1926–2001), Scottish-Canadian author and journalist
  • Gordon Graham Donaldson (died 1809), British Army officer
  • Graham Donaldson (1935–2001), Australian rules footballer
  • Grant Donaldson (born 1976), New Zealand cricketer

H

  • Harvey J. Donaldson (1848–1912), American politician
  • Hay Frederick Donaldson (1856–1916), English engineer
  • Helen Donaldson (born 1968), Australian singer
  • Henry Herbert Donaldson (1857–1938), American neurobiologist

I

  • Ian Donaldson, Scottish musician
  • Ian Donaldson (footballer), Scottish footballer
  • Ian Stuart Donaldson (1957–1993), British musician

J

  • J. Lyter Donaldson (1891–1960), American politician
  • Jack Donaldson (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Jakim Donaldson (born 1983), American basketball player in the Israeli National League
  • James Donaldson (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Jamie Donaldson (born 1975), Welsh golfer
  • Jared Donaldson (born 1996), American tennis player
  • Jeff Donaldson (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Jeffery Donaldson, Canadian poet and critic
  • Jeffrey Donaldson (born 1962), Northern Irish politician
  • Jesse M. Donaldson (1885–1970), American politician
  • Jimmy Donaldson (born 1998), American YouTuber known as MrBeast
  • Joan Donaldson (1946–2006), Canadian journalist
  • John Donaldson (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Johnny Donaldson, American guitarist
  • Joseph Donaldson (1891–1973), Canadian politician
  • Josh Donaldson (born 1985), American baseball player
  • Julia Donaldson (born 1948), English writer and playwright
  • Julie Donaldson (born 1978), American journalist and beauty queen

K

  • Karen Donaldson (1947–2005), American Paralympic swimmer and athlete
  • Kim Donaldson (born 1952), Zimbabwean artist
  • Kristian Donaldson, American comic book artist

L

  • Leanne Donaldson (born 1968), Australian politician
  • Liam Donaldson (born 1949), British doctor
  • Lily Donaldson (born 1987), British model
  • Lou Donaldson (1926–2024), American saxophonist

M

  • Margaret Donaldson (1926–2020), British psychologist
  • Mark Donaldson (born 1979), Australian soldier
  • Mark Donaldson (rugby player) (born 1955), New Zealand rugby union player
  • Mary Donaldson, Baroness Donaldson of Lymington (1921–2003), British politician
  • Mary Elizabeth Donaldson (born 1972), Australian-born Crown Princess of Denmark
  • Michael Donaldson (disambiguation), multiple people

N

  • Norma Donaldson (1928–1994), American actress and singer

O

  • O'Neill Donaldson (born 1969), English footballer

P

  • Pat Donaldson (born 1943), Scottish bass guitarist
  • Pete Donaldson (born 1981), radio and television presenter
  • Peter Donaldson (disambiguation), multiple people

R

  • Ray Donaldson (born 1958), American football player
  • Robert Donaldson (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Roger Donaldson (born 1945), Australian-born New Zealand film producer, director and writer

S

  • Sam Donaldson (born 1934), American reporter and news anchor
  • Scott Donaldson (born 1994), Scottish snooker player
  • Simon Donaldson (born 1957), English mathematician
  • St Clair Donaldson (1863–1935), British-born Australian archbishop
  • Stephen R. Donaldson (born 1947), American novelist
  • Stewart Donaldson (born 1961), British-American psychologist
  • Stuart Donaldson (1812–1867), British-born Australian politician
  • Sue Donaldson (born 1962), Canadian author, independent researcher and philosopher

T

  • Ted Donaldson (1933–2023), American actor
  • Thomas Donaldson (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Timothy Donaldson (1934–2013), Bahamian politician, banker, economist, and diplomat
  • Tre Donaldson (born 2003), American basketball player
  • Trose Emmett Donaldson (1914–1942), American naval lieutenant

V

  • Vance Young Donaldson (born 1791, date of death unknown), Northern Irish soldier and penal administrator

W

  • Walter Donaldson (disambiguation), multiple people
  • William Donaldson (disambiguation), multiple people

See also

  • Donaldson Brown (1885–1965), financial executive and corporate director with DuPont and General Motors Corporation
  • Donaldson Company, an industrial filtration services company
  • Rebecca Donaldson-Katsopolis, fictional character on the TV sitcom Full House