WD
William Donovan — 1940 US Census Record
Model Tree available1940 United States Federal Census · Suffolk-County, Massachusetts
Our Model Tree links this William Donovan across the 1920, 1930 and 1940 US Censuses in Suffolk-County, Massachusetts (XGBoost, ~Confirmed), with identified parents John & Mary — first a head (b.~1902), then head of a 4-person household.
Age 38
b. ~1902
Male
Head
Born: Massachusetts
Married
1940 Census Record Details
| Census Year | 1940 |
| Location | Suffolk-County, Massachusetts |
| Surname | Donovan |
| Given Name | William H. |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 38 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Massachusetts |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Boston city |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Suffolk |
| Additional Details | |
| Occupation | rivet heater |
| Industry | navy yard |
| Class of Worker | GW |
| Hours Worked | 40 |
| Income (1939) | 1350 |
| Highest Grade | No 8 |
| 1935 Residence | Same house |
| Birth State | Massachusetts |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | massachusetts |
| Occupation | Rivet Heater |
| Township / Ward | Boston City |
| Est. Birth Year | ~1902 |
Household Members
Census records only state relationship to the household head.
Pairwise kinship is derived (~90–95% accurate), not recorded.
Step/blended families and boarders can break it.
4 people recorded at the same address in the 1940 census.
| Name | Relation to head | Relative to William | Age | Birth yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catherine Donovan | Spouse | — | 35 | ~1905 |
| William Donovan | Son | — | 7 | ~1933 |
| William Donovan | Head | — | 38 | ~1902 |
| Mary Donovan | Daughter | — | 2 | ~1938 |
Census Appearances
1920
Suffolk, Massachusetts
Son, age 15
Suffolk, Massachusetts · implied b. ~1905 — 7 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Donovan |
| Given Name | William |
| Relationship to Head | Son |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 15 |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Birthplace | Massachusetts |
| Father's Birthplace | Ireland |
| Mother's Birthplace | Ireland |
| Can Read | Yes |
| Can Write | Yes |
| Speaks English | Yes |
| Mother Tongue | English |
| Birth State | Massachusetts |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | massachusetts |
1930
Suffolk, Massachusetts
Other, age 27
Suffolk, Massachusetts · implied b. ~1903 — 34 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Donovan |
| Given Name | William H. |
| Relationship to Head | R |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 27 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Massachusetts |
| Age at First Marriage | 22 |
| Father's Birthplace | Ireland |
| Mother's Birthplace | Ireland |
| Industry | yes |
| Class of Worker | Salesman |
| Can Read/Write | Yes |
| Home Owned/Rented | 35 |
| Home Value / Rent | no |
| Radio Set | no |
| Birth State | Massachusetts |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | massachusetts |
1940
Suffolk-County, Massachusetts
Head, age 38
Suffolk-County, Massachusetts · implied b. ~1902 — 4 household members
| Surname | Donovan |
| Given Name | William H. |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 38 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Massachusetts |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Boston city |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Suffolk |
| Occupation | rivet heater |
| Industry | navy yard |
| Class of Worker | GW |
| Hours Worked | 40 |
| Income (1939) | 1350 |
| Highest Grade | No 8 |
| 1935 Residence | Same house |
| Birth State | Massachusetts |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | massachusetts |
Model Tree
An inferred pedigree reconstructed from census links — up to 4 generations within the 1900–1950 window. Closer generations are built from household co-residence; deeper ones are bridged by following a relative to their own childhood census. Confidence compounds and weakens with each generation.
Our Model Tree links William Donovan across 3 US Census years (1920, 1930 and 1940) in 2 locations, using XGBoost record linkage. Identified parents: father John Donovan (~0.92 confidence) and mother Mary Donovan (~0.92 confidence). The pedigree spans 1 generation with 2 identified ancestors.
Show:
Gen 1
Parents
confidence ≈ 0.92
Father
John Donovan
b. ~1875
Source father
● Household
· direct · ~0.92
Mother
Mary Donovan
b. ~1878
Source mother
● Household
· direct · ~0.92
This person
Anchor record
William Donovan
Head · 1940 · age 38 · b. ~1902 · Massachusetts
★ You are viewing this record
Confirmed / household (~0.90+)
Probable / derived (~0.65–0.89)
Candidate (<0.65, unverified)
Original Census Page
1940 US Federal Census — Suffolk-County, Massachusetts
Open full size
1940 US Federal Census — Suffolk-County, Massachusetts
Page Contents
40 people indexed on this census page (nara:1940:m-t0627-01659-00109)
| Line | Name | Age | Relation | Occupation | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Margaret Gillespie | 33 | Wife | — | Eire |
| 42 | Rose M. Gallagher | 39 | Head | Packer | Massachusetts |
| 43 | Dorothy Gallagher | 16 | Daughter | — | Massachusetts |
| 44 | Joseph Pelosi | 43 | Head | Store Keeper | Italy |
| 45 | Elizabeth Pelosi | 42 | Wife | — | Eire |
| 46 | Catherine Thorp | 69 | Head | — | Eire |
| 47 | William H. Donovan THIS PERSON | 38 | Head | Rivet Heater | Massachusetts |
| 48 | Catherine Donovan | 35 | Wife | — | Massachusetts |
| 49 | William J. Donovan | 7 | Son | — | Massachusetts |
| 50 | Mary Donovan | 2 | Daughter | — | Massachusetts |
| 51 | John Carey | 33 | Head | Chauffeur | Massachusetts |
| 52 | Gertrude Carey | 33 | Wife | — | Massachusetts |
| 53 | John Carey | 9 | Son | — | Massachusetts |
| 54 | Frederick Carey | 4 | Son | — | Massachusetts |
| 55 | Margaret Clark | 72 | Head | — | Newfoundland |
| 56 | Walter Clark | 38 | Son | Laborer | Massachusetts |
| 57 | Mary M. Collins | 77 | Head | — | Newfoundland |
| 58 | William Doherty | 38 | Head | Truck Driver | Northern Ireland |
| 59 | Catherine Doherty | 36 | Wife | — | Northern Ireland |
| 60 | Mary H. Doherty | 12 | Daughter | — | Massachusetts |
| 61 | Frances Doherty | 10 | Daughter | — | Massachusetts |
| 62 | William Jr. Doherty | 7 | Son | — | Massachusetts |
| 63 | Catherine Doherty | 2 | Daughter | — | Massachusetts |
| 64 | Mary Broderick | 61 | Head | — | Eire |
| 65 | John Broderick | 60 | Brother | Repair Man | Eire |
| 66 | Bessie Sullivan | 75 | Head | — | Eire |
| 67 | Margaret Mccarthy | 47 | Daughter | Manager | Massachusetts |
| 68 | Elizabeth Sullivan | 31 | Daughter | File Clerk | Massachusetts |
| 69 | John F. Sullivan | 30 | Son | Stenographer | Massachusetts |
| 70 | Anna F. Hanifan | 59 | Head | — | Eire |
| 71 | John F. Hanifan | 22 | Son | Packing | Massachusetts |
| 72 | Edward Fallon | 69 | Head | Elevator Operator | Eire |
| 73 | Annie Fallon | 68 | Wife | — | Eire |
| 74 | Catherine Gallagher | 69 | Roomer | — | Eire |
| 75 | Walter Butler | 35 | Head | Truck Driver | Massachusetts |
| 76 | Irene Butler | 32 | Wife | — | Massachusetts |
| 77 | Walter Jr. Butler | 12 | Son | — | Massachusetts |
| 78 | Warren Butler | 5 | Son | — | Massachusetts |
| 79 | John Driscoll | 32 | Brother in Law | Longshoreman | Massachusetts |
| 80 | Joseph G. O'Malley | 27 | Cousin | Longshoreman | Massachusetts |
Pedigree Summary
William
Gen 1 · 2 parents
~0.92
Max depth 4 (1900–1950 window)
About This Record & Model Tree
This record was independently indexed by YourRoots from the 1940 United States Federal Census (NARA). Our Model Tree links this person across census decades using XGBoost-based record linkage, with per-link confidence scores. Household corroboration strengthens the signal when co-residents appear on the same census pages in multiple years.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)