The Mac Domhnaill Family Name

Many Mac Domhnaill families will find their roots under MacDonald, the form most records use. The name is generally explained as “Son of Domhnall (world ruler)”. Records show Mac Domhnaill as one of the forms MacDonald took over time. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists. Related forms: MacDhòmhnaill and Macdonell.

Arms linked to MacDonald and its spellings were granted to individual families; our heraldry team traces which line they belonged to. For the full story, order the Mac Domhnaill surname pack.