Macdonald Family Tree research resources

Delve into the history of the Macdonald Family Tree using the resources below. We hope you find these sites useful whilst you are researching your Family Tree !

Did you know that in the 1881 UK census there were 11884 people with the Macdonald surname? In that year Macdonald was ranked number 348 for popularity in the UK.

"The son of Donald. The family are descended from Angus MacDonald, son of Donald, whose father, Reginald, was the son of Somerled, Thane of Argyll. "_{(The origin and signification of Scottish surnames. Clifford Stanley Sims, 1862)}

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"MACDONALD. Gaelic Mac Dhdmhnuitt (pron. Maak oonil), 'son of DONALD,' q.v. Properly speaking there is no such surname as Macdona Id. MacDhomhmiill means 'son of (a particular) Donald': all others of the name are simply Domhnullach, 'one of the Donalds' (Henderson, ZCP., rv, p. 244). The chiefs of the clan in the direct line are descended from Donald, eldest son of Reginald, second son of Somerled, Regulus of the Isles. Collectively the clan is known as Clann Domhnuill, and, due to the absorption of many small septs and "broken men,' it is therefore the most numerous and widespread of all the clans. It should therefore be borne in mind that all persons named Macdonald are not by any means son of a particular Donald any more than all Campbells are sib to the duke of Argyll. Sir Eneas Macpherson rather spitefully accuses the Macdonalds of vanity in that they "would have all the families descended of theirs in which there is ane (M) or any other letter of their name" ( Loyatt Dissuasive, SHS. ed., p. 108). In MacDhornhnuM the d by aspiration is often omitted in pronunciation thus giving rise to the form MacConnell, a spelling common in Ulster. In 'A ChdnutiT for A Dhdmhnuitt ('A here is all that remains of 'Mac') the sounds of broad dh and broad ch are liable to confusion, hence MacChonuill for MacDhdmhnuitt and MacConachie for MacDhonnchaidh. In Waifs and strays, n, and in Rev. J. Gaelic Campbell's Witchcraft, p. 23, are the forms MacConnutil and Ma-ConuiR. The attempts in record to render the name from Gaelic pronunciation has resulted in a great variety of forms from which the following is a selection: Makconehill 1479, 1564, Maconhale (of Dunivaig) 1588, McConile 1571, M'Conill 1580, McConnaill 1581, M'Connel 1627, McConnell 1633, McConnil 1564, M'Connill 1597, M'Connyll 1545, VcConull 1613, MakDonald 1571, M'Donnyle 1328, McDonol 1769, McDonoll 1771, McDonyll 1521, M'Douny 1329, M'Kconil 1597, MacKonald 1586, Mackoneye 1571, M'KonneD, M'Oneill, VcONeill 1576, M'Onele (all four of Donnawik = Dunivaig) 1626, McOnill (of Sleat) 1628, Me orronald (of Eyellanttirrem ) 1645, M'zonil 1531, Makconeil 1571, Makconell 1521, Makconnele and Makconeil 1571, Mach-Onales and Mac-Coneales (pi.) 1646. Sir James Melville spells the name MachoneL The M'Douny of 1329 above appears three years earlier as John M'Donnyle, bailie of lie (Islay) (ER., i, p. 52, 196), and Therthelnac Makdonenalde was a charter witness at Lesmore, 1251 (RMS., n, 3126). MACDONKU. and MACDONNELL are also recognized spellings of the name at the present time. MACDONALD, q.v., used by the families of Glengarry and Keppoch. 0 "_{(The surnames of Scotland. George Fraser Black, 1866-1948)}

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