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
edit- 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 (1925–1987), English footballer
- Arthur Donaldson (1901–1993), Scottish politician and journalist
- Arthur Donaldson (actor) (1869–1955), Swedish-American actor
B
edit- 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 (born 1938), Australian politician
C
edit- Charles Edward McArthur Donaldson (1903–1964), Scottish politician
- Chris Donaldson (born 1975), New Zealand sprinter
- Clayton Donaldson (born 1984), English footballer
- Clyde Donaldson (1894–1979), Australian rules footballer
- Colby Donaldson (born 1974), American television actor
D
edit- 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
edit- 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
edit- Frances Donaldson (née Lonsdale, 1907–1994), British writer and biographer
- Fred Donaldson (1937–2018), English footballer
G
edit- 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
edit- 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
edit- Ian Donaldson, Scottish musician
- Ian Donaldson (footballer), Scottish footballer
- Ian Stuart Donaldson (1957–1993), British musician
J
edit- 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
edit- Kim Donaldson (born 1952), Zimbabwean artist
- Kristian Donaldson, American comic book artist
L
edit- 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
edit- 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
edit- Norma Donaldson (1928–1994), American actress and singer
O
edit- O'Neill Donaldson (born 1969), English footballer
P
edit- Pat Donaldson (born 1943), Scottish bass guitarist
- Pete Donaldson (born 1981), radio and television presenter
- Peter Donaldson (disambiguation), multiple people
R
edit- 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
edit- 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
edit- Ted Donaldson (1933–2023), American actor
- Thomas Donaldson (disambiguation), multiple people
- Timothy Donaldson (1934–2013), Bahamian politician, banker, economist, and diplomat
- Trose Emmett Donaldson (1914–1942), American naval lieutenant
V
edit- Vance Young Donaldson (born 1791, date of death unknown), Northern Irish soldier and penal administrator
W
edit- Walter Donaldson (disambiguation), multiple people
- William Donaldson (disambiguation), multiple people
See also
edit- Rebecca Donaldson-Katsopolis, fictional character on the TV sitcom Full House
- Donaldson Brown (1885–1965), financial executive and corporate director with DuPont and General Motors Corporation
- Donaldson Company, an industrial filtration services company