Scots-Gaelic

McDonnell

Mac Dónaill

Also: MacDonnell, McDonald

“son of Dónall”

The sept's historic heartland, highlighted. People moved — a name can be found far from home.

The story

Lords of the Glens of Antrim, sprung from the Lords of the Isles. Sorley Boy MacDonnell out-manoeuvred both Elizabeth I and Shane O'Neill to keep the Glens — his line are earls of Antrim still.

Their world Around 1590 — The Tudor Conquest. Henry VIII takes the title 'King of Ireland' in 1541, and his children finish the work by sword, by plantation, and by the bargain called surrender and regrant.

See them on the atlas ↗

What the name is made of

Mac Dónaill
Mac — son of (Mc is the same word, contracted)
Dónaill — the ancestor, trade or place the name is built on

Find this form in the Irish-to-English index → · What Ó and Mac actually mean

Is McDonnell an Irish name?

McDonnell is a Gaelic name: it was formed in Irish, from an Irish ancestor, before English was spoken here.

The five answers, and why it is rarely yes or no →

From Wikipedia — “MacDonnell (surname)”

MacDonnell, Macdonnell, or McDonnell is a surname of Irish and Scottish origin. It is an anglicized form of the Gaelic patronymic Mac Dhòmhnaill, meaning "son of Dòmhnall". The Gaelic personal name Dòmhnall is a Gaelicised form of the name Donald, which is composed of the elements domno, meaning "world", and val, meaning "might" or "rule". The name is considered a variation of MacDonald.

Read the full article ↗ · Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Neighbours — other names from the same counties

Adams · Antrim Barrett · Mayo Beattie · Antrim Bell · Antrim Blake · Mayo Brogan · Mayo Burke · Mayo Campbell · Antrim Carey · Mayo Conneely · Mayo Costello · Mayo Coyne · Mayo Craig · Antrim Dillon · Mayo

Quick answers

Is McDonnell an Irish name?

McDonnell is a Gaelic name: it was formed in Irish, from an Irish ancestor, before English was spoken here. In Irish the name is Mac Dónaill.

What does the surname McDonnell mean?

McDonnell (Irish: Mac Dónaill) means “son of Dónall”. Origin: Scots-Gaelic.

Where in Ireland is the surname McDonnell from?

The historic homeland of the McDonnell name is Antrim, Mayo. People moved, so the name can be found far beyond it.

What is the Irish for McDonnell?

Mac Dónaill. Related spellings: MacDonnell, McDonald.

Looking for the McDonnell family crest? Read this first — arms belong to people, not surnames, and the honest version is more interesting. Tracing McDonnell ancestors? The step-by-step guide.

Not your spelling? Try the full A–Z. Know more about the McDonnell name? Add to the story.